mm  Yorktown 
To  Santiago 


1 


WITH 

THE  SIXTH 

a  S.  CAVALRY 


LkittetuMt-Colonet 

W,  H.  CARTER 


3^ 


CAVALRY   TRUMPETER,    KHAKI    UNIFORM,    1900. 


FROM  YORKTOWN 
TO  SANTIAGO 

WITH  THE  SIXTH  U.  S.  CAVALRY 


BY 


Lieutenant-Colonel  W.  H.  CARTER 

AUTHOR  OF  "HORSES,  SADDLES,  AND  BRIDLES." 


I  900 

The  Friedenwald  Company 
BALTIMORE,   MD. 


'is   '^^-'v,^ 


ENTERED  ACCORDING  TO  ACT  OF  CONGRESS,  IN  THE  YEAR  1900, 

By  Lieutenant-Colonel  WILLIAM  H.  CARTER, 

IN  THE  OFFICE  OF  THE  LIBRARIAN  OF  CONGRESS, 

AT  WASHINGTON,   D.  C. 


PREFACE. 

The  title  given  this  volume  was  selected  to 
indicate  the  first  and  last  battles  in  which  the  Sixth 
Cavalry  participated.  To-day  the  news  was  flashed 
from  the  Golden  Gate  of  the  Pacific  that  the 
regiment  had  passed  out  on  the  transport  "  Grant," 
bound  for  China.  To  conserve  the  truth  of  history 
it  may  soon  be  necessary  to  amend  the  title  to 
read    "  From    Yorktown    to    Pekin." 

Histories  of  military  organizations  are  usually 
found  in  two  classes :  one  being  a  biographical 
record  of  the  members,  usually  accompanied  by 
photographs  ;  the  other  a  general  history  of  the 
campaigns  in  which  the  organization  served.  The 
author  has  endeavored  to  avoid  both  schools,  and 
the  reader  must  decide  as  to  the  degree  of  success 
which  has    attended   the    effort. 

The  historical  scheme  of  the  chapters  devoted 
to  the  period  of  the  Civil  War  follows  the  successive 
campaigns ;  those  devoted  to  the  subsequent  period 
are  localized  by  the  tours  of  service  on  various 
frontier  stations   and  by   the   Santiago   campaign. 


lVil655SS 


IV  PREFACE. 

The  regiment  will  always  hold  in  high  esteem 
the  artists — Remington,  de  Thulstrup,  Zogbaum, 
Gaul,  Klepper  and  Christy — who  have  generously 
aided  in  making  this  volume  a  worthy  memento  of 
long  years  of  service  under  the  flag  of  the 
Republic. 

The  author  desires  to  express  his  personal  ap- 
preciation of  the  kindly  assistance  rendered  by 
these  gentlemen  and  to  make  due  acknowledgment 
to  Colonel  C.  W.  Larned,  C.  H.  Ourand,  F.  L. 
Mast  and  St.  G.  R.  Raby,  Jr.  for  drawings  which 
have  served  both  an  artistic  and  historical  purpose. 

Two  of  Remington's  sketches  made  in  the  Sixth 
Cavalry  camp  during  the  Pine  Ridge  campaign 
are  reproduced  through  the  courtesy  of  Harper 
and  Brothers. 

July  s,  I  goo. 


CONTENTS. 


FAGB 


INTRODUCTORY i 

CHAPTER  I. 
The  Organization  of  the  Regiment.      ...       9 

CHAPTER  II. 
The  Peninsular  Campaign.      .  .  .  .  .22 

CHAPTER  III. 
Maryland  Campaign.       ......      56 

CHAPTER  IV. 
On  to  Fredericksburg.  .  .  .  .  -63 

CHAPTER  V. 
The  Gettysburg  Campaign.     .  .  .  .  -91 

CHAPTER  VI. 
With  Sheridan  to  the  End.  ....    108 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Regiment  Ordered  to  Texas.  .  .  .  -131 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
On  the  Plains — Kansas  and  Indian  Territory.       .    157 


VI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

PAGE 

Arizona — The  Land  of  the  Apaches.     .  .  •    '^77 

CHAPTER  X. 
New  Mexico.  .......    241 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Back  to  the  Plains  and  the  Bad  Lands.        .  .    256 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Santiago.         .  .  .  .  •  ■  •  .281 

AFTERMATH 304 

ROSTER 311 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Cavalry    Trumpeter,    Khaki    Uniform,     1900.        C.    W. 

Larned.  .....  Frontispiece 


FACING   PAGE 


Cavalry    Trumpeter,    Civil    War    Period,    Full    Dress. 

R.   F.   ZoGBAUM.        .  .  .  .  .  -13 

Wade's  Squadron  returning  from  reconnoissance,  Con- 
federate line  of  battle,  Fredericksburg.  T.  de 
Thulstrup.       .......      67 

Captured  by  Mosby's  Guerrillas.      Max  F.  Klepper.  .      80 

Pontoon    Bridge    at    Deep    Bottom.      (From   war  time 

photograph).     .  .  .  .  .  .114 

Cavalry  Officer,  P'ull  Dress,  1865.      C.  W.  Larned.     .     126 

Indian  Warrior  watching  Cavalry  Column.     Frederick 

Remington.      .......     146 

Plains  Indian,    1875.      C.  W.   Larned.         .  .  .     160 

Troop  Picket  Line,  Pine  Ridge  Campaign.  Frederick 
Remington.  (From  Harper's  Weekly.  Copy- 
right,   1892,  by   Harper  and  Brothers).         .  .    258 

General  Carr  receiving  report  from  a  scout.  Pine 
Ridge  Campaign.  Frederick  Remington.  (From 
Harper's  Weekly.  Copyright,  1892,  by  Harper 
and   Brothers).  ......    260 

Night  Alarm,  Tampa,   1898.      Gilbert  Gaul.     .  .    286 

Dismounted  Cavalryman,  Santiago  Campaign.     Howard 

Chandler  Christy.  .....    288 

Battle  Monument  at  West  Point.       ....    306 


INTRODUCTORY. 


7AR  forms  the  grim  background 
while  nations  play  unceasingly 
at  diplomacy.  Sometimes  the 
drifting  clouds  of  human  pas- 
sion are  dispelled,  but  the 
possibilities  of  the  background 
are  always  in  evidence.  The 
character  of  war  varies  directly 
with  the  motives  which  actuate  an  appeal  to  the 
arbitrament  of  arms,  and  soldiers  are  but  average 
exponents  of  the  good  and  evil  of  their  own  com.- 
munities,  their  conduct  by  flood  and  field  representing 
what  may  be  again  expected  under  like  conditions. 
Volumes  have  been  written  upon  the  fortunes  of 
individual  soldiers,  and  hero-worship  has  ever  been 
more  or  less  blind  in  the  adulation  bestowed  upon 
successful  commanders. 

No  great  nation  has  yet  been  able  to  establish 
a  permanent  form  of  government  without  an  armed 
power  to  sustain  it,  and  the  crucial  periods  of 
national  life  have  all  been  marked  more  or  less  by 
war  or  armed  intervention.  The  history  of  wars, 
showing  their  causes  and  resulting  effects  upon 
civilization,  has   enlisted   the  services   of  the    wisest 


2  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

Students  of  the  civilized  world.  The  history  of 
armies  deals  more  or  less  with  political  and  strate- 
gical considerations  ;  the  history  of  a  regiment 
naturally  hinges  somewhat  on  its  reputation,  as 
established  by  its  officers   and  men. 

The  history  of  war  is  not  always  the  story  of 
success,  but  American  manhood  has  ofttimes  been 
exalted  by  defeat  as  well  as  by  victory.  Hypocrisy 
and  cant  may  revel  in  academic  discussion  of  the 
rights  of  mongrel  nations,  but  as  long  as  there 
remain  upon  the  pages  of  history  the  stories  of 
Valley  Forge,  of  Yorktown,  of  Mexico,  of  Chicka- 
mauga,  of  Gettysburg,  of  Manila  and  of  Santiago,  so 
long  will  children  lisp  with  proud  mien  the  stories 
of  their  fathers'  swords.  There  is  no  pride  akin 
to  that  which  comes  of  a  knowledge  that  one's 
ancestors  have  rendered  the  State  some  service. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  the  stories  of  a 
few  eye-witnesses  to  battle,  by  no  means  constitute 
true  history.  To  arrive  at  a  correct  understanding 
of  military  operations,  the  general  plans  of  campaign 
must  be  studied  and  the  statements  of  all  the  com- 
manders, whose  duty  it  is  to  make  reports,  must 
be  carefully  weighed.  By  making  due  allowance  for 
varying  temperaments,  powers  of  expression  and 
the  essential  element  of  time,  the  calm  historian 
is  enabled  to  make  a  fair  estimate  of  events  as 
they  actually  occur  in  war.  If  this  system  be  not 
followed   and    the    story   of   a    single    participant   is 


INTRODUCTORY.  3 

accepted,  the  real  truth  will  be  swamped  under  the 
errors  of  the  personal  equation  which  exists  more 
or  less  in  all  men. 

It  is  the  fate  of  nations  to  witness  the  rise  and 
fall  of  popular  military  idols.  So  with  organiza- 
tions, for  sometimes  it  happens  in  war  that,  through 
specious  pleas  and  friendly  correspondents,  the 
public  gaze  becomes,  for  the  moment,  riveted  upon 
individual  reo-iments  to  the  detriment  of  others 
equally,  if  not  more,  deserving. 

Truthful  history  disposes  of  ephemeral  reputations, 
for  no  regiment  has  ever  been  organized,  in  this  or 
any  other  country,  which  has  maintained  on  many 
consecutive  battlefields,  its  claim  to  superiority. 
Some  individuals  have  more  personal  courage  and 
calmness  in  the  hour  of  danger  than  others,  but 
cowardice  is  not  an  attribute  of  men  who  volun- 
tarily enter  the  ranks  in  defense  of  their  country's 
honor,  and  average  regiments  are  but  assemblages 
of  average  men. 

During  the  period  of  the  Revolution,  the  mar- 
velous leader,  Tarleton,  made  a  fiery  path  with  his 
light-horsemen,  only  to  go  down  with  the  wreck 
at  Yorktown.  The  Mexican  Lancers,  whose  self- 
appointed  duty  was  to  sink  the  rising  star  of  Texas, 
trailed  their  fluttering  pennons  in  retreat  when 
gallant  May  sent  them  scurrying  through  the  gates 
of  the  Mexican  capital.  The  "  Louisiana  Tigers " 
and    the   "  Black    Horse    Cavalry-,"    of    Confederate 


4  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

renown,  exercised  an  uncanny  influence  only  until 
the  hour  of  battle  arrived,  when  it  was  discovered, 
as  of  old,  that  no  one  oro-anization  has  an  exclusive 
title  to  courage. 

In  the  lines  of  battle  around  Santiago  there  were 
thousands  of  highly  trained  and  gallant  soldiers, 
sustaining  the  honor  of  renowned  American  regi- 
ments on  whose  battle-flags  were  emblazoned  scores 
of  blood-bought  titles.  Being  regulars,  they  were 
all  but  forgotten  by  the  Press  become  hysterical 
over  the  newly-risen  "  Rough  Riders." 

Recently,  the  war  in  South  Africa  has  given  to 
the  world  an  unexpected  picture  in  the  sight  of  the 
"  Gordon  Highlanders,"  the  "  Black  Watch "  and 
Britain's  pride,  "  The  Guards,"  recoiling  before  the 
unerring  aim  of  the  rustic  Boers.  "  Up  Guards, 
and  at  them  !  "  will  live  as  long  as  boys  read  the 
story  of  Waterloo,  notwithstanding  Wellington  pro- 
tested, in  the  name  of  truth,  that  no  such  words 
were  ever  uttered. 

In  the  preparation  of  much  of  the  history  it  has 
been  practicable  only  to  "  blaze  the  trail  "  of  the  regi- 
ment by  its  itinerary  of  marches  and  battles,  without 
entering  more  than  is  absolutely  necessary  into 
plans  of  campaign  or  movements  of  other  organi- 
zations. In  following  a  cavalry  regiment  for  nearly 
forty  years,  by  means  of  its  records,  the  trail  is 
often  found  dim  and  sometimes  completely  oblit- 
erated.    To  illustrate  the  difficulties  of  the  situation 


INTRODUCTORY.  5 

the  naive  remark  is  quoted  from  one  of  the  morning 
reports  :  "  The  company  was  not  paid  to-day  because 
the  company-clerk  was  captured  yesterday  with  the 
muster-roll  in  his  pocket." 

It  has  been  the  constant  endeavor,  in  the  prepar- 
ation of  the  story,  to  present  an  honest  and  unpre- 
tentious representation  of  service  as  substantiated 
by  the  records,  avoiding  alike  the  tempting  realms 
of  speculation  and  tradition.  The  search  for  facts 
has  developed  a  perfect  mine  of  interesting  incidents 
and  regimental  tales,  but  the  author  has  felt  con- 
strained not  to  enter  this  field. 

All  these  years  of  regimental  life  have  constantly 
added  to  the  list  of  heroes  who  have  distinguished 
themselves  while  following  the  guidons.  Sometimes 
it  is  the  lonely  dispatch  courier,  threading  his  dan- 
gerous course  through  hostile  Indians  ;  sometimes 
a  gallant  soul  risking,  perhaps  sacrificing,  a  life  to 
save  that  of  a  comrade  ;  and  sometimes  it  is  in 
that  awful  moment  of  battle  when  fortune  seems  to 
hang  in  the  balance  and  something  beyond  mere 
courage  is  needed  to  carry  forward  exhausted  lines, 
as  at  Sailor's  creek,  when  the  cavalry  corps  was 
pressing  hard  upon  Lee's  army  to  force  a  surrender ; 
here  the  sadly  depleted  ranks  of  the  Sixth  wavered 
under  the  fearful  fire  from  some  log  huts,  when 
Lieutenant  McLellan  cried  out,  "  Men,  let  us  die  like 
soldiers  !  "  and  led  them  at  a  run  through  a  shower 
of  bullets  and  drove  the  enemy  from  his   cover. 


6  FROM    YORKTOWN   TO    SANTIAGO. 

The  regiment  has  ever  been  celebrated  for  mod- 
est and  successful  performance  of  duty  rather  than 
vainglorious  efforts  to  enhance  its  reputation  by 
specious  claims.  Simple  language  and  plain  state- 
ments of  facts  are  required  to  fitly  honor  the  deeds 
of  men  whose  veteran  association  had  the  courage 
to  adopt  for  a  motto,  "  Fairfield,"  the  name  of  the 
one  battle  in  which  all  was  lost  save  honor  and  the 
regimental  standard. 

This  volume  contains  but  a  fraction  of  the  inci- 
dents essential  to  a  complete  history,  but  it  should 
be  remembered  that  during  the  Civil  War  there 
were  periods  when  skirmishes,  which  would  now  be 
designated  battles,  were  of  daily  occurrence,  and 
yet  were  considered  so  unimportant  that,  in  many 
instances,  they  can  only  be  traced  by  the  casualty 
columns  of  the  muster-rolls.  The  frontier  period, 
covering  thirty  years  of  regimental  life,  is  inade- 
quately presented  for  the  reason  that  the  regiment 
was  generally  much  scattered,  and  although  the 
service  was  of  a  kind  to  try  men's  souls,  the 
officers,  nearly  all  of  whom  had  participated  in  the 
Civil  War,  did  not  consider  it  important  enough  to 
perpetuate  in  detailed  reports. 

The  nation  has  seldom  taken  to  heart  the  ser- 
vices of  the  regular  army  on  the  frontier;  in  fact,  it 
was  not  until  Remington  and  his  confreres  pictured 
the  life  in  all  its  character-making  incidents  and 
rough  manhood  that  general  interest  was  awakened. 


INTRODUCTORY.  7 

While  the  country  was  supposed  to  be  in  a  state 
of  profound  peace,  the  little  frontier  garrisons, 
which  made  the  settlement  of  half  a  continent  pos- 
sible, unostentatiously  went  about  their  work  of 
carving  the  path  of  an  empire  without  expectation 
of  other  reward  than  a  consciousness  of  duty  right 
nobl}^  performed.  It  was  the  self-reliance  which 
this  frontier  training  brought  about  that  enabled 
the  generals  at  Santiago  to  feel  confident  that 
each  subordinate  would  lead  his  little  band  of  fol- 
lowers through  the  chaparral  straight  for  the  "  red 
house  on  the  hill." 

The  regiment  had  the  honor,  as  the  advance 
guard,  to  lead  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  under 
McClellan,  from  Yorktown  up  the  Peninsula,  to  the 
battlefields  around  Richmond ;  and  at  Santiago, 
when  the  fiag  of  freedom  slowly  rose  to  the  mast- 
head on  the  palace,  replacing  the  Spanish  emblem, 
which  for  more  than  three  centuries  had  floated 
over  the  city,  it  was  the  Sixth  Cavalry  band  which 
saluted  it  with  "  Hail,  Columbia." 

The  search  for  and  tying  together  of  historical 
facts  have  been  a  labor  of  love  with  the  author,  who, 
for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century,  rode  in  the  ranks 
of  the  distinguished  regiment,  the  services  of  which 
he  has  endeavored  to  chronicle.  It  has  only  been 
possible  to  give  the  subject  brief  moments,  snatched 
from  an  active  career  ;  but  the  results  are  presented 
to    his    old   comrades    with    a    feeling   of  assurance 


8  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

that,  recognizing  the  difficuhies  under  which  he  has 
labored,  they  will  welcome  the  rescue  of  these 
fragments  from  oblivion. 

No  attempt  has  been  made  to  picture  the  social 
life  of  the  old  frontier,  a  life  so  apart  from  that 
"  in  the  States,"  that  no  one  could  share  it  without 
becoming  partisan.  To  a  few  it  was  indescribably 
lonely,  but  to  the  large  majority  there  was  a  strange 
fascination  about  it  all  that  comes  back  to  memory 
like  a  fond  dream.  All  the  hardships  are  forgotten 
and  the  dangers  are  mellowed  by  the  lapse  of  years. 
Over  their  cigars  old  sabreurs  discuss  their  scout- 
ing days  with  quickened  pulse  and  heightened 
color,  while  their  goodly  spouses  speak  with  tearful 
eyes  of  the  days  of  Auld  Lang  Syne,  when  all  was 
blessed  comradeship  in  the  old  regiment. 


{/fturant/  — 


THE    ORGANIZATION    OF    THE    REGIMENT. 


CHAPTER   I. 
The  Organization  of  the  Regiment. 

Conditions    in    i86i — President    Lincoln    issues    Proclamation 

INCREASING     REGULAR     ArMY — REGIMENT     ORGANIZED    AS     ThIRD 

Cavalry  and  Headquarters  established  at  Pittsburg — 
Designation  changed  to  Sixth — Camp  at  Bladensburg — 
Camp  east  of  Capitol,  Washington — Equipment  and  Train- 
ing OF  Regiment. 


HE  breaking  point  of  the  long 
continued  strain  between  the 
sections  was  reached  on  the 
day  when  the  election  of 
Abraham  Lincoln  was  made 
known,  and  yet  the  North 
was  slow  to  believe  that  the 
South  would  hazard  the  fate  of  the  republic 
because  of  political  disappointment. 

Events  followed  each  other  in  evil  combination, 
until  at  last  the  veil  was  lifted  from  the  eyes  of 
the  amazed  men  of  the  North.  The  stupendous 
war,  which  was  to  follow  with  all  its  attending 
horrors,  was  beyond  the  conception  of  the  wisest 
thinkers  of  the  age.  He  who  dared  to  intimate 
that  enormous  armies  would  be  called  into  being 
before  the  rebellion  could  be  crushed,  was  scorned 
as  of  unbalanced  mind. 


lO  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

No  one  could  base  a  calculation  upon  the  past, 
for  there  was  grave  misunderstanding  between  the 
sections  as  to  their  relative  strength  ;  the  southern- 
ers strangely  vain  of  their  individual  prowess,  the 
northerners  more  phlegmatic,  slow  to  move,  but 
once  aroused  neither  defeat  nor  disaster  could 
swerve  them  from  their  purpose.  This  awful  strife 
was  soon  to  afford  opportunity  for  the  world  to 
witness  real  war  as  waged  by  the  progeny  of 
American  pioneers,  who  carved  a  republic  in  the 
face  of  almost  insurmountable  obstacles  and  placed 
a  new  and  a  great  name  on  the  roll  of  nations. 

When  the  old  flag  was  lowered  at  Sumter,  the 
gauge  of  battle  was  thrown  down  and  there  was 
naught  to  do  but  prepare  for  the  coming  struggle. 
The  few  regiments  of  the  little  regular  army  were 
scattered  over  an  immense  domain  and  could  not 
be  readily  concentrated,  even  for  the  defense  of 
the  nation's  capital.  The  early  calls  for  volunteers 
did  not  indicate,  in  the  light  of  subsequent  events, 
any  very  decided  or  comprehensive  plan  beyond 
immediate  defense. 

It  soon  became  apparent  to  the  Administration 
that  the  war  was  to  be  much  more  than  a  brief 
insurrection,  and  on  the  3d  day  of  May,  1861,  the 
President  issued  a  proclamation  which  directed  the 
addition  to  the  regular  establishment  of  one  regi- 
ment   of    cavalry,    one    of    artillery,    and    eight     of 


THE    ORGANIZATION    OF    THE    REGIMENT.  I  I 

infantry.  Within  four  years  it  was  found  necessary 
to  put  in  service  two  hundred  and  seventy-two 
regiments  of  cavalry,  two  hundred  and  thirty-two 
batteries  of  artillery,  and  one  thousand  and  ninety- 
six  regiments  of  infantry,  numbering  more  than 
two  million  men. 

On  May  4th,  General  Order  No.  16,  Adjutant 
General's  Office,  was  published,  and  prescribed  the 
plan  of  organization  for  the  new  regiments.  This 
order  provided  that  the  new  cavalry  regiment 
should  be  composed  of  three  battalions,  each  bat- 
talion of  two  squadrons,  and  each  squadron  of  two 
companies.  The  order  also  provided  that  two- 
thirds  of  the  company  officers  should  be  appointed 
in  the  same  manner  as  officers  of  like  rank  in  the 
then  existing  army,  and  the  remaining  one-third 
should  be  taken  from  among  the  sergeants,  on  the 
recommendation  of  the  colonel  of  the  regiment, 
approved  by  the  general  commanding  the  brigade. 
This  plan  assured  to  the  regiment  the  presence  of 
a  number  of  subalterns,  thoroughly  trained  in  all 
the  minute  details  of  company  administration  and 
drill,  things  which,  while  second  nature  to  old  sol- 
diers, appear  like  the  uncut  pages  of  a  new  book 
to  recruits,  no  matter  how  patriotic  and  enthusiastic 
they  may  be. 

The  organization  of  the  Third  Regiment  of  Cav- 
alry   was    announced    in    General    Order    No.    ;^;^, 


12  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

Adjutant's  General  Office,  June   i8th,  1861,  with  the 
following  assignment  of  officers: 

NAMES   AND   RANK.  BREVETS   AND    FORMER   COMMISSIONS. 

Colonel. 

David  Hunter   j ; Paymaster. 

Lieutenant-Colonel. 

William  H.  Emory   Lieutenant-Colonel,  ist  Cavalry. 

Majors. 

Daniel  H.  Rucker Captain,  A.  Q.  M.,  Brevet  Major. 

Edward  H.  Wright  

Captains. 

Isaiah  N.  Moore Captain,  ist  Dragoons. 

August  V.   Kautz ist  Lieutenant,  4th  Infantry. 

Andrew  W.  Evans  ist  Lieutenant,  7th  Infantry. 

William  S.  Abert  ist  Lieutenant,  4th  Artillery. 

David  McM.  Gregg ist  Lieutenant,  ist  Dragoons. 

Joseph  H.  Taylor ist  Lieutenant,  ist  Cavalry. 

Irvin  Gregg   

John  Savage  

George  C.  Cram  

Charles  R.  Lowell 

1st  Lieutenants. 

John  K.  Mizner ist  Lieutenant,  2d  Dragoons. 

William  W.  Averell 2d  Lieutenant,  Mounted  Rifles. 

Herbert  M.  Enos  2d  Lieutenant.  Mounted  Rifles. 

Ira  W.  Claflin  2d  Lieutenant,  Mounted  Rifles. 

Sewall  H.  Brown  

Benjamin  T.  Hutchins 

Hancock  T.  McLean 

Tattnall  Paulding 

Frederick   Dodge  

John  B.  Johnson  

James  F.  Wade  

Mark  F.  Leavenworth   

2d  Lieutenants. 

John  W.  Spangler ist  Sergeant,  Co.  H,  2d  Cavalry. 

Peter  McGrath   ist  Sergeant,  Co.  I,  Mounted  Rifles. 

Hugh  McQuade   ist  Sergeant,  Co.  F,  Mounted  Rifles. 

Curwen  B.  McLellan    Sergeant,  Co.  H,  2d  Cavalry. 


'"'*'"s,,>u  (To^U 


CAVALRY   TRUMPETER,   CIVIL   WAR    PERIOD,    FULL   DRESS. 


THE    ORGANIZATION    OF    THE    REGIMENT.  1 3 

This  order  also  directed  that  the  colonel  should 
assign  the  officers  to  battalions  and  companies, 
and  that  recruitino-  should  be  commenced  at  once 
and  conducted  under  the  superintendence  of  the 
colonel  or  lieutenant-colonel.  The  headquarters  was 
directed  to  be  established  at  Pittsburg,  Pa. 

Prior  to  this  time  the  mounted  force  of  the  army- 
was  organized  as  dragoons,  mounted  riflemen  and 
cavalry.  In  order  to  simplify  matters  for  the  large 
volunteer  army  then  being  organized.  Congress 
enacted,  on  August  3d,  1861,  that  all  mounted  regi- 
ments should  be  known  as  cavalry,  and  General 
Order  No.  55,  Adjutant  General's  Office,  August 
loth,  1 86 1,  prescribed  that  "  The  six  mounted  regi- 
ments of  the  army  are  consolidated  in  one  corps, 
and  will  hereafter  be  known  as  follows  : 

The   1st  Dragoons  as  the   ist  Cavalry. 

The  2d  Dragoons  as  the  2d  Cavalry. 

The  Mounted  Riflemen  as  the  3d  Cavalry. 
The   1st  Cavalr}^  as  the  4th  Cavalry. 

The  2d  Cavalry  as  the  5th  Cavalry. 

The  3d  Cavalry  as  the  6th  Cavalry." 

It  was  not,  however,  until  July  17th,  1862,  that  the 
old  regiments  were  provided  by  law  with  the  same 
organization  as  the  Sixth,  that  is,  twelve  companies 
and  a  full  complement  of  field  officers. 

The  assignment  of  companies   to  squadrons,  and 


14  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

of  officers  to  companies,  was  announced  in  Regi- 
mental Orders  No.  i,  August  15th,  1861,  and 
recruiting  was  immediately  begun  in  Pennsylvania, 
Ohio,  and  western  New  York.  The  enthusiasm  for 
the  war  was  at  its  height,  and  no  difficulty  was 
experienced  in  securing  a  splendid  body  of  men. 

The  regiment  was  recruited  just  as  volunteer  regi- 
ments were  raised,  except  that  there  was  no  election 
of  officers.  It  was  only  necessary  for  the  officers 
who  had  already  been  appointed  to  direct  the  energy 
and  courage  of  this  fine  body  of  patriots  to  make 
the  reofiment  what  it  soon  became, — one  of  the  best 
in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  on  the  returns  of 
of  which  were  borne  many  celebrated  organizations. 

Colonel  Hunter  never  joined  for  duty  with  the 
regiment,  and  of  those  appointed  to  original  vacan- 
cies. Major  Rucker,  Captain  Moore  and  Lieutenant 
Mizner  decHned.  Major  J.  H.  Carleton  and  Major 
L.  A.  Williams  were  appointed  to  date  from  Sep- 
tember 7th;  the  former  vice  Major  Rucker  and  the 
latter  to  an  original  vacancy.  Captain  Moore's 
vacancy  was  filled  by  the  promotion  of  that  gallant 
soldier  William  P.  Sanders,  of  the  old  Second 
Dragoons.  October  25th,  2d  Lieutenants  I.  M. 
Ward,  Albert  Coats,  Joseph  Kerin  and  Christian 
Balder  were  appointed,  and  on  November  ist,  other 
vacancies  were  filled  by  the  appointment  of  Andrew 
Stoll,  Samuel  M.  Whitside  and  Daniel  Madden. 


THE    ORGANIZATION    OF   THE    REGIMENT.  I  5 

There  were  a  number  of  officers  and  sergeants 
selected  from  the  old  army  who  were  familiar  with 
the  drill,  traditions  and  customs  of  the  mounted 
service  on  the  western  frontier.  The  value  of  this 
experience  is  best  attested  by  the  long  list  of  dis- 
tinguished commanders  during  the  Civil  War  whose 
early  training  was  acquired  in  operations  against 
the  Indians  who  then  roamed  over  half  a  conti- 
nent. To  the  enthusiasm  and  hard  labor  of  these 
officers  the  regiment  owed  its  early  instruction  in 
the  details  of  cavalry  woi-k,  which  enabled  it  to 
serve  without  embarrassment  in  that  celebrated 
organization,  the  First  Brigade,  Cavalry  Reserve, 
Army  of  the  Potomac. 

On  September  12th  the  regiment  mustered  six 
hundred  and  seven  men,  and  was  moved  on  that 
date  to  Bladensburg,  Maryland,  where  it  was 
mounted  during  the  following  month. 

Even  in  an  old  troop  of  cavalry  the  annual 
arrival  of  the  remounts  is  attended  with  much 
interest  and  more  or  less  speculation  as  to  the 
relative  merits  of  the  various  horses.  The  scenes 
and  incidents  attendant  upon  mounting  the  new 
regiments  of  volunteer  cavalry  at  the  beginning  of 
the  Civil  War  were  almost  indescribable,  and  the 
regimental  historians  usually  draw  the  broad  mantle 
of  charity  over  that  period.  The  organization  and 
mounting  of  the   Sixth    was   not  entirely  devoid  of 


1 6  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

similar  experiences,  but  the  presence  of  regular 
officers  and  many  ex-regular  soldiers,  who  had 
enlisted  with  a  view  to  securing  commissions,  saved 
the  regiment  from  much  of  the  difficulty  and  delay 
encountered  by  volunteer  organizations. 

It  was,  of  course,  impossible  to  supply  trained 
officers  to  the  hosts  of  volunteers  of  1861,  but  a 
modified  plan  on  similar  lines  was  adopted  recently 
(1899)  in  the  organization  of  thirty-five  thousand 
volunteers  for  service  in  the  Philippine  Islands. 
The  remarkable  success  attendant  upon  the  recruit- 
ment, organization  and  equipment  of  these  regiments 
under  regular  officers  is  something  for  the  nation 
to  be  proud  of,  and  were  it  not  for  the  supposed 
antagonism  of  such  a  scheme  to  the  interests  of  the 
national  guard  organizations,  there  can  be  little 
doubt  that  the  plan,  through  its  own  virtues,  would 
force  itself  upon  the  attention  of  the  people  when 
the  services  of  volunteers  are  again  required. 

The  regiment  remained  in  camp  at  Bladensburg 
until  October  12th,  1861,  when  it  was  marched  to 
the  camp  of  instruction,  east  of  the  Capitol,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  companies  B,  D,  E,  F,  G,  H,  I  and  K 
having  been  organized.  On  October  15th  Lieu- 
tenant Dodo^e  arrived  with  sufficient  recruits  for 
"A"  company,  which  was  organized  on  that  date. 

On  November  ist,  the  band  was  organized  and 
a  sufficient  number  of  recruits  had  arrived   to  com- 


THE    ORGANIZATION    OF    THE    REGIMENT.  I  7 

plete  the  organization  of  company  M.  Company  C 
was  not  organized  until  December  23d,  owing  to 
the  absence  of  all  the  officers.  Company  L  was 
subsequently  organized  at  the  old  camp  in  Wash- 
ington, but  did  not  join  until  July  13th,  1862,  when 
the  regiment  was  camped  at  "  Westover,"  near 
Harrison's  Landing,  Virginia,  after  the  Seven  Days' 
Battles. 

As  soon  as  the  regiment  was  established  in 
the  new  camp  east  of  the  Capitol  instruction  was 
undertaken  in  earnest,  and  before  the  end  of 
October  the  companies  were  ordered  to  appear  in 
full  marching  order  at  drills,  which  were  by  squadron 
in  the  afternoon  and  regimental  in  the  morning. 
At  this  period  a  squadron  consisted  of  two  com- 
panies instead  of  four,  as  at  present.  During  the 
autumn,  quarters  and  stables  were  commenced,  and 
by  the  end  of  December  men  and  horses  were 
comfortably  housed.  Throughout  the  winter  the 
drills  and  other  routine  work  of  camp  were  kept 
up  regardless  of  weather.  Drills  by  brigade  and 
regiment  frequently  took  place  in  the  rain,  and  the 
mud  about  the  barracks  and  stables  was  often  half 
knee  deep  to  a  horse  ;  but  the  regiment  was  pre- 
paring for  grim  war  and  this  preparation  enabled 
it  to  acquit  itself  well  on  its  first  field  of  battle. 

The  regiment,  except  one  squadron,  was  equipped 
as  light  cavalry  with  pistols  and  sabres  only.     Owing 


1 8  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

to  the  large  number  of  volunteers  being  organized, 
it  was  impossible  to  secure  carbines  at  this  time, 
and  in  fact  much  difficulty  was  encountered  in  ob- 
taining ordinary  supplies,  as  may  be  illustrated  by 
the  following  appeal  to  the  Quartermaster-General 
far  necessary  garments  for  soldiers  about  to  take 
the  field : 

"  Headquarters  6th  Cavalry, 
Camp  east  of  Capitol,  November  27th,  1861. 
Sir: — I   send   Lieutenant  Spangler,   Regimental   Quarter- 
master,  to  represent   to   you   that   he    has   failed   to   obtain 
pantaloons  for  this  regiment,  and  I  am  satisfied  he  used  the 
proper  exertion  to  get  them.     The   men   are   suffering   for 
these  garments  very  much,  and  it  has  occurred  to  me,  after 
the  conversation  which  took  place  on  the  field  yesterday,  that 
there  is  a  misapprehension  in  some  quarter  on  this  subject. 
I  am,  very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

W.  H.  Emory, 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Commanding." 

It  was  to  be  expected,  as  a  matter  of  course,  in 
a  country  which  kept  so  small  a  force  scattered 
over  a  wide  expanse  of  territory,  that  the  staff 
corps  and  departments  would  not  be  able  to  at 
once  set  in  motion  the  trained  machinery  so  essen- 
tial to  the  administration  of  large  armies.  The 
enthusiasm  and  patriotism  of  the  American  soldier 
can  always  be  relied  upon  in  any  just  cause,  but 
guns,  munitions  of  war,  tents,  transportation  and, 
above  all,  training,  do   not   materiaHze  at  the   mere 


THE  ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  REGIMENT.      1 9 

movement  of  the  maofician's  wand.  This  has  been 
the  teaching  of  history  from  time  immemorial,  and 
the  higher  the  civihzation  and  the  more  advanced 
nations  become  in  mechanical  arts,  the  more  neces- 
sary it  is  to  provide  and  maintain  a  reasonable 
store  of  things  essential  to  successful  war.  Any 
other  course  results  just  as  the  condition  of  affairs 
in  1 86 1  resulted, — long  delay  and  enormously 
expensive  preparation  because  of  higher  prices 
demanded  under  war  conditions. 

At  this  early  period  of  the  war,  before  the  bounty 
system  had  demoralized  patriotism,  recruits  were 
still  easily  obtained,  but  the  absence  of  officers  soon 
became  a  fruitful  source  of  complaint  which  continued 
throughout  the  war.  Much  of  this  resulted  from  the 
temporary  promotion  of  regular  officers  to  higher 
commands  in  the  volunteers  ;  many  were  detached 
as  aides-de-camp  and  for  other  duties  which  did 
not  advance  them  professionally,  yet  deprived  a  fine 
regiment  of  the  influence  and  example  which  trained 
officers  exert  over  young  men  eager  to  learn. 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Emory,  to  whom,  for  his  pains- 
taking care  and  intelligent  direction  in  its  early 
existence,  the  regiment  owes  a  debt  of  gratitude, 
commented  on  this  subject  in  a  letter  dated  January 
17th,   1862,  as  follows: 

"  The  unremitted  instruction  given  this  regiment  is  all  in 
vain  without  the  presence  of  officers  to  retain  and  enforce  the 


20  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

instruction.  A  few  tours  of  detached  service  or  inclement 
weather  interfering  with  the  exercises  efifaces  the  labors  of  a 
month. 

The  best  old  cavalry  requires  more  officers  in  proportion 
to  the  men  than  are  with  this,  a  regiment  of  a  few  months' 
standing.  Without  proper  officers,  no  effort  can  make  good 
cavalry,  and  all  military  authorities  agree  that  bad  cavalry  is 
worse  than  useless. 

It  is  not  only  the  positive  inconvenience  resulting  from  the 
absence  of  these  officers,  but  it  is  the  discontent  fastened  in 
the  minds  of  those  left  behind,  who  are  equally  desirous  of 
obtaining  high  commands  in  the  volunteer  forces." 

The  regiment  continued  in  the  camp  at  Washing- 
ton until  March  loth,  1862,  furnishing  its  share  of 
details  for  provost-guard  duty  in  the  city.  Instruc- 
tion was  pushed  unremittingly  to  bring  the  thousand 
men  then  in  the  ranks,  up  to  the  "old  army"  standard. 
As  late  as  February,  1862,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Emory 
was  still  struggling  for  needful  supplies,  amongst 
other  deficiencies  being  carbines,  pistol  cartridges 
and  saddle  blankets.  It  was  only  a  few  days  before 
the  regiment  took  the  field  that  carbines  were 
secured  for  the  flank  squadron,  as  it  was  then 
called,  composed  of  companies  B  and  H.  Inspec- 
tions of  horses  and  equipments  were  carefully  made 
and  everything  done  to  put  the  squadron  in  light 
but  perfect  marching  order. 

The  regiment  was  now  about  to  enter  the  field 
where  it  remained  for  more  than  three  years,  par- 
ticipating in  all  the  campaigns  of  the    Army  of  the 


THE    ORGANIZATION    OF    THE    REGIMENT, 


21 


Potomac,  and  returning  to  Washington  only  in  time 
for  the  Grand  Review  at  the  close  of  the  war.  It 
will  be  shown  from  the  simple  story  of  the  records 
that  General  Emory,  and  those  who  so  loyally  aided 
him  in  organizing  and  preparing  this  fine  body  of 
men  for  the  service  of  their  country,  may  justly  be 
proud  of  the  results  of  their  patriotic  and  thorough 
work. 


22  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 


CHAPTER   II. 

The   Peninsula   Campaign. 

Regiment  takes  the  Field — Centerville  and  Manassas — Embark 
AT  Alexandria  on  Transports — Yorktown — Williamsburg — 
Advance  up  Peninsula — Slatersville — New  Kent  Court 
House — Hawes'  Shop — Arrest  of  Major  Williams — His 
Brother's  Career — New  Bridge — Mechanicsville — Win- 
ston's Farm — Hanover  Court  House — Burning  Bridges — 
South  Anna — Picketing — Stuart's  Raid — Movement  to  James 
River — Black  River — Westover — Reconnoissance,  Malvern 
Hill — Evacuation,   Harrison's   Landing — Rear  Guard. 


ARCH  loth,  1862,  the  regiment, 
now  one  thousand  strong,  aban- 
doned winter  quarters  and 
marched  in  column  of  platoons 
down  Pennsylvania  Avenue  and 
across  Long  Bridge  to  Fairfax 
Court  House.  Here  it  was  assigned  to  General  P. 
St.  George  Cooke's  command,  and  camped  for  the 
first  time  in  the  open  field. 

On  the  following  day  a  reconnoissance  was  made 
to  Centerville  and  Manassas  Junction,  driving  in  the 
Confederate  pickets  near  the  latter  place,  the  regi- 
ment returning  to  and  camping  at  Centerville  until 
the  13th,  when  the  reconnoissance  was  pushed  as  far 


THE    PENINSULA    CAMPAIGN.  23 

as  Catlett's  station  and  Cedar  Run,  where  the  regi- 
ment stood  to  horse  in  a  meadow  all  night,  during  a 
heavy  rain. 

During  the  next  day  the  regiment  formed  line  of 
battle  three  times,  the  men  removing  their  overcoats 
so  that  they  could  use  the  sabre  to  advantage.  The 
night  was  a  repetition  of  the  previous  one,  so  far  as 
comfort  was  concerned,  the  command  bivouacking  in 
deep  mud  without  fires- 

On  the  15th  the  regiment  returned  and  occupied 
the  abandoned  Confederate  huts  at  Manassas,  and 
next  day  built  a  bridge  at  Blackburn's  Ford  on  Bull 
Run,  crossed  and  marched  back  to  Fairfax  Court 
House.  Durinof  this  movement  the  men  had  an 
opportunity  to  examine  the  "  Quaker"  guns,  mounted 
the  previous  winter  by  the  Confederates,  and  which 
exerted  a  strong  moral  influence,  notwithstanding 
they  were  of  home  manufacture  from  native  trees, 
without  even  the  bark  removed. 

On  March  i8th,  the  regiment  marched  to  Alex- 
andria and  encamped  near  the  Seminary  until  the 
27th,  when  it  was  embarked  on  transports  for  Fort 
Monroe  under  Major  L.  A.  Williams,  the  former 
commander,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Emory,  having  been 
promoted  to  Brigadier-General  of  Volunteers  and 
assigned  to  command  of  the  First  Brigade,  Cavalry 
Reserve,  to  which  the  Sixth  belonged.  The  com- 
panies disembarked,  as  the  various  vessels   arrived. 


24  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

at  Fort  Monroe,  and  on  the  30th  went  into  camp 
near  Hampton,  where  the  regiment  remained  until 
April  5th,  when  it  moved  to  Big  Bethel,  and  on  the 
following  day  to  within  six  miles  of  Yorktown. 

The  regiment  had  been  in  service  nearly  a  year 
and  had  been  put  through  its  paces  by  some  of  the 
best  drill-masters  of  the  old  army;  it  had  not  yet 
been  in  action,  however,  and  some  of  the  old  dra- 
goons in  the  brigade  were  inclined  to  chaff  the  men 
as  volunteers.  Upon  one  occasion  this  led  to  some 
embarrassment  when  a  Sixth  Cavalry  sergeant 
allowed  his  resentment  to  lead  him  into  difficulty 
with  the  camp  guard  of  the  First  Cavalry.  The 
result  of  the  investigation  is  shown  in  the  following 
extract  from  a  letter  to  Captain  Magruder,  command- 
ing the  First  Cavalry  near  Yorktown  : 

"  The  Major  Commanding  directs  me  to  say,  relative  to 
Sergeant  Pahner,  that  he  has  investigated  the  case  and  finds 
from  an  ex  parte  statement  of  the  Sergeant,  who  is  a  very 
quiet  and  reliable  man,  that  the  Sergeant  of  the  guard  of 
your  camp  used  very  abusive  language  towards  him,  calling 
him  a  '  damn  recruit  and  volunteer,'  drawing  his  sabre  upon 
him  and  threatening  to  cut  him  down ;  this  without  his  having 
refused  to  obey  any  order.  It  is  difficult  to  arrive  at  the 
truth  of  these  matters  except  before  a  court.  If  you  desire 
it,  the  Major  Commanding  directs  me  to  say,  that  on  the 
presentation  of  the  charges  against  him,  Sergeant  Palmer 
shall  be  brought  to  trial." 

There  was  no  more  trouble  after  the  enemy  was 
once  sighted,  for  no  men  ever  proved  their  right  to 


THE    PENINSULA    CAMPAIGN.  25 

the  knightly  title  of  "  soldier "   more  gallantly  than 
those  of  the  Sixth. 

At  this  time  the  heavy  rains  had  put  the  ground  in 
very  bad  condition,  and,  transportation  being  limited, 
the  regiment  was  compelled  to  pack  its  forage  on  the 
horses  from  Ship  Point  until  April  iith,  when  camp 
was  pitched  on  the  York  river.  On  April  21st  Camp 
Winfield  Scott  was  established  about  three  miles 
from  Ship  Point,  and  two  weeks  were  spent  in  per- 
fecting the  instruction  of  the  regiment  in  the  details 
of  field  service. 

On  May  ist,  1862,  the  Confederates  abandoned 
their  lines  at  Yorktown,  and  General  Stoneman  was 
sent  forward  early  in  the  morning  with  four  batteries 
of  horse  artillery  and  all  available  cavalry  in  pursuit, 
by  the  Yorktown  and  Williamsburg  road,  with  orders 
to  harass  the  enemy's  rear  and  cut  off  such  of 
his  forces  as  had  taken  the  Lee's  Mill  and  Williams- 
burg roads.  When  the  head  of  the  column  reached 
the  road  near  the  breastworks  at  Yorktown, 
several  horses  were  killed  by  the  explosion  of  torpe- 
does, sunk  in  the  ground,  and  set  off  by  contact  with 
the  horses'  shoes.  About  two  miles  from  Williams- 
burg, General  Cooke's  advance  guard  and  flankers 
encountered  the  rear  guard  of  the  enemy.  Captain 
Savage's  squadron.  Sixth  Cavalry,  was  ordered  to 
advance  and  charge,  but  the  enemy  retreated,  leaving 
two  wagons,  in  flames,  and  a  spiked  howitzer. 


26  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

When  the  head  of  the  column  reached  a  strip  of 
swampy  woods,  the  central  battlefield  of  the  next 
day,  Captain  Savage's  right  flank  platoon  reported 
field  works  in  front  and  to  the  right.  General  Cooke, 
having  learned  that  there  was  a  forest  road  which 
turned  the  enemy's  left  flank,  ordered  Major  Williams 
with  four  large  squadrons  of  the  Sixth  against  the 
enemy's  left,  while  Gibson's  battery  was  brought  into 
action,  as  rapidly  as  the  deep  mud  would  permit,  to 
reply  to  the  fire  which  had  opened  on  the  head  of  the 
column  from  Fort  Mao^ruder.  While  the  reg-iment 
was  making  its  way  to  attack  the  enemy's  left,  Ma- 
gruder's  squadron  of  the  First  and  Savage's  squadron 
of  the  Sixth  Cavalry,  charged  the  enemy  close  up  to 
the  works,  and  later  charged  again  to  save  some  of 
the  guns,  when  their  capture  appeared  imminent. 
Lieutenant  Joseph  Kerin,  Sixth  Cavalry,  who  was 
with  Savage's  flankers,  captured  a  Confederate  cap- 
tain at  this  time. 

Subsequently  some  trifling  controversy  took  place 
as  to  exactly  what  message  Major  Lawrence  Williams 
received  from  Lieutenant  Frank  Beach,  General 
Cooke's  Aide-de-Camp,  who  carried  the  order  for 
attack.  What  actually  took  place  may  be  best  shown 
by  quoting  Major  Williams'  report : 

"  I  was  ordered  to  make  a  detour  through  the  woods  and 
take  a  battery  on  the  enemy's  extreme  left  flank.  I  accord- 
ing-ly  proceeded  with  the  Sixth  Cavalry  through  the  woods 


THE    PENINSULA    CAMPAIGN.  2/ 

indicated,  and  after  going  about  half  a  mile  at  a  trot,  de- 
bouched upon  an  open  but  undulating  ground  in  front  of  the 
enemy's  line  of  fortifications.  The  ground  was  very  heavy, 
and  between  the  woods  and  the  fieldworks  there  was  a  deep 
ravine  only  passable  by  file.  The  ravine  was  about  equi- 
distant from  the  woods  and  the  works.  It  was  passed  and 
the  regiment  formed  about  one  hundred  yards  from  the 
fortifications.  Lieutenant  Madden  with  a  platoon  was  sent 
to  reconnoitre  the  gorge.  This  was  during  the  time  its 
occupants  were  engaged  with  Gibson's  battery  in  front. 
Lieutenant  Madden  reported  that  the  ditch  and  rampart 
would  have  to  be  surmounted  before  we  could  effect  an 
entrance,  and  also  that  infantry  was  approaching  on  the  near 
side  of  a  wood  which  skirted  the  back  of  the  fort.  I  saw 
three  regiments  advancing  in  line;  our  position  was  critical, 
equally  exposed  to  the  guns  of  the  fort  and  the  advancing 
infantry.  I  determined  to  retire.  Four  of  the  squadrons  and 
a  portion  of  the  fifth  had  already  passed  the  ravine  {it  was 
belly  deep  to  the  horses  in  mud),  when  two  squadrons  of  rebel 
cavalry  rushed  from  the  barracks  in  rear  of  the  fort,  and 
endeavored  to  cut  off  Captain  Sanders'  company.  Captain 
Sanders  wheeled  his  company  about,  charged  and  repelled  the 
enemy  with  great  gallantry.  I  cannot  speak  too  highly  of 
the  officers  and  men  on  this  occasion.  Though  every  one 
felt  that  few  would  survive  if  the  guns  of  the  fort  were  turned 
upon  us,  not  one  showed  the  slightest  concern.  Captain 
Sanders  showed  great  prudence  and  bravery  in  the  timely 
manner  in  which  he  met  the  enemy,  though  taken  at  a  dis- 
advantage by  superior  numbers.  I  regret  to  report  that 
Lieutenant  McLellan  was  wounded  in  the  leg  by  a  shell  while 
engaged." 

When  Lieutenant  Madden  led  his  platoon  at  a  trot 
towards  Fort  Magruder,  the  occupants  w^ere  engaged 
in  firinof  on  the  armv  in  their  front-  There  were 
several  rows  of  huts  near  by  and  outside  the  works, 


28  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

which  concealed  the  platoon  until  the  men  arrived  at 
the  outer  edge  of  the  ditch,  along  which  they  were 
trotting  in  search  of  a  crossing,  when  some  of  the 
Confederates  looking  over  the  crest  called  out  "They 
are  Yankees!  "  It  was  apparent  that  a  cavalry  regi- 
ment could  accomplish  nothing  here,  and,  besides, 
Lieutenant  Madden  discovered  the  enemy's  cavalry 
coming  out  of  the  woods  in  force.  He  put  his 
platoon  at  a  gallop  and  by  winding  in  and  out  of  the 
rows  of  huts  concealed  his  men  from  the  fire  of  the 
fort,  but  came  out  facing  a  brigade  of  Confederate 
infantry,  and  so  close  that  he  clearly  recognized  the 
General  in  command,  his  former  Captain  in  the  old 
army  who  had  resigned  and  gone  south  to  cast  his 
fortunes  with  the  Confederacy.  Lieutenant  Madden 
realized  that  his  platoon  had  been  saved  by  being 
mistaken  for  Confederates,  and  he  lost  no  time  in 
galloping  hastily  down  the  slope,  followed  by  the 
Confederate  cavalry  supports  which  had  discovered 
the  column,  and  warned  the  regiment  to  withdraw 
from  its  critical  position. 

When  the  regiment  retired  from  the  position  near 
Fort  Magruder,  Captain  Sanders'  squadron  composed 
of  Companies  A  and  M  was  in  the  rear.  In  order  to 
cross  the  long,  narrow  ravine,  it  was  necessary  to 
march  by  twos  or  file.  Just  before  reaching  the 
ravine  the  enemy's  artillery  began  dropping  shells 
into  the  column  with  considerable  accuracy.      While 


THE    PENINSULA    CAMPAIGN.  29 

Captain  Sanders  was  endeavoring  to  cross,  and  in 
the  worst  part  of  the  ravine,  the  enemy's  cavalry- 
appeared  on  the  edge  and  opened  a  severe  fire. 
The  squadron  pushed  across  and  formed  column  of 
platoons  on  the  hillside.  The  enemy  followed  up 
the  hill,  when  Sanders  quickly  wheeled  about  by 
platoons  and  charged,  driving  them  into  and  across 
the  ravine  with  considerable  loss. 

Captain  Sanders  had  sent  Lieutenant  Madden  to 
report  to  the  regimental  commander  the  condition 
of  things  in  the  rear.  A  part  of  Captain  J.  Irvin 
Gregg's  squadron,  under  Lieutenants  Paulding  and 
Ward,  wheeled  about  and  joined  in  the  charge. 
Captain  Lowell's  and  the  remainder  of  Captain 
Gregg's  squadron  wheeled  about  and  formed  to 
support  Captain  Sanders  and  remained  until  he  had 
driven  back  the  enemy. 

Some  of  the  men  were  unhorsed  in  the  deep 
mud  of  the  ravine,  by  the  plunging  and  falling  of 
wounded  horses,  and  were  captured  and  taken  to 
the  rear  before  the  counter-charge  drove  the  enemy 
back.  These  were  the  first  losses  of  the  regiment 
by  capture.  The  prisoners  were  marched  to  an  old 
tobacco  warehouse  in  Richmond  and  subsequently 
sent  to  Salisbury,  North  Carolina,  for  confinement. 
After  a  brief  imprisonment,  however,  they  were 
paroled,  sent  to  Washington,  North  Carolina,  and 
thence  delivered  to  the  Union  fleet.     They  embarked 


30  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

on  the  "  Virginia,"  and  after  inspection  by  General 
Burnside,  at  Newbern,  they  sailed  for  New  York,  and 
subsequently  rejoined  the  regiment. 

Captain  Sanders  specially  mentioned  Captain 
Hays,  Lieutenant  McLellan,  First  Sergeants  Joseph 
Bould  and  Michael  Cooney,  and  Sergeant  Durboran 
for  their  gallant  conduct  in  this  affair,  and  Captain 
Gregg  commended  Sergeants  Andrew  F.  Swan,  of  G 
company,  and  Emil  Swartz  (wounded),  of  F  company. 

On  May  7th  the  regiment  left  Williamsburg  in  pur- 
suit of  the  enemy,  and  after  a  march  of  about  five 
miles,  overtook  the  rear  guard,  with  which  the  carbine 
squadron,  composed  of  B  and  H  companies,  became 
engaged.  After  a  brief  but  lively  skirmish  the  enemy 
withdrew.  Nine  men  were  wounded  in  this  affair  and 
were  left  to  be  cared  for  in  houses   in  the  vicinity. 

The  pursuit  was  continued  and  on  the  9th  the 
advance  reached  Slatersville  about  3  p.  m.  It  was 
reported  to  the  regimental  commander  that  a  detach- 
ment of  about  twenty  Confederate  cavalrymen  were 
near  by,  and  he  sent  a  part  of  Captain  Lowell's  squad- 
ron, consisting  of  fifty-five  men,  and  Captain  Sanders' 
company  of  thirty-two  men,  to  make  a  detour  of  the 
town  and  cut  them  off.  Soon  after  the  column  started 
a  vedette  was  discovered  in  the  edge  of  the  woods  on 
the  right  of  the  village.  He  signaled  to  the  company 
of  cavalry  to  which  he  belonged  and  it  wheeled  about. 
Captain    Lowell,   who  was   in   advance,    immediately 


THE    PENINSULA    CAMPAIGN.  3 1 

took  up  the  gallop,  and  on  reaching  the  opening  he 
led  his  squadron  to  the  charge  in  person.  The  enemy 
retreated  before  the  advancing  troopers  in  the  direc- 
tion of  some  buildings,  from  which  a  heavy  fire  was 
poured  into  Captain  Lowell's  men  as  soon  as  the 
enemy  had  uncovered  them. 

At  this  moment,  and  before  Captain  Sanders' 
company  had  completely  emerged  from  the  wood, 
a  squadron  of  Confederate  cavalry,  heretofore  con- 
cealed, suddenly  approached  on  the  left.  Captain 
Sanders'  company  was  immediately  diverted  from  the 
road  through  a  gap  in  the  fence,  and  boldly  charged 
down  upon  the  squadron,  which  greatly  exceeded 
in  strength  his  own  force.  The  sudden  attack  by 
Captain  Sanders  threw  the  advancing  squadron  into 
confusion  and  caused  it  to  retreat.  At  this  juncture 
some  consternation  was  produced  by  the  appearance 
of  still  another  squadron  of  the  enemy  advancing 
rapidly.  Captain  Sanders  showed  his  signal  ability 
as  a  cavalryman  by  rallying  his  small  company,  which 
he  had  well  in  hand,  wheeling  about,  charging  the 
Confederate  squadron  which  had  last  come  upon 
the  field,  throwing  it  into  confusion  and  compelling 
a  retreat. 

It  was  apparent  that  the  small  force  was  greatly 
outnumbered  and  the  recall  was  sounded.  Captain 
Sanders  quickly  rallied  his  men  and  withdrew.  Cap- 
tain  Lowell,  in  the  meantime,  had  pursued  through 


32  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

the  town  beyond  the  sound  of  recall,  but  by  prompt 
action  he  managed  to  withdraw  before  the  enemy  had 
recovered  sufficiently  to  recognize  the  smallness  of 
the  force  opposed  to  them.  Lieutenants  Hutchins, 
Whitside  and  Coats  were  engaged  in  this  affair  and 
were  commended  for  their  good  conduct.  The  loss 
in  this  action  was  four  killed,  eight  wounded  and 
three  missing. 

The  regiment  was  very  proud  of  this  little  fight, 
for  the  companies  engaged  were  greatly  outnumbered 
at  every  turn,  and  it  was  only  by  the  exhibition  of 
perfect  confidence  and  unhesitating  courage  that 
the  command  was  enabled  to  withdraw,  after  it  was 
discovered  that  the  supposed  small  detachment  of 
the  enemy  had  suddenly  grown  to  several  squadrons, 
backed  up  by  infantry. 

The  Confederates  continued  their  retreat  and  the 
regiment  remained  in  close  proximity  to  the  rear 
guard  through  the  loth  and  nth;  on  the  latter  date 
a  sharp  engagement,  lasting  nearly  two  hours,  took 
place  at  New  Kent  Court  House,  when  the  enemy 
withdrew  and  the  regiment  pushed  on  to  Cumberland 
Landing,  on  the  Pamunkey  river.  During  the  pursuit, 
near  New  Kent  Court  House,  the  enemy's  rear  guard 
was  constantly  driven  back,  and  Lieutenants  Balder 
and  Kerin  behaved  with  such  fearlessness  and  gal- 
lantry as  to  call  forth  a  special  report  to  the  brigade 
commander. 


THE    PENINSULA    CAMPAIGN.  33 

On  May  12th  the  regiment  reached  White  House 
Landing,  a  place  which  subsequently  became  quite 
familiar  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  On  the  14th 
the  movement  was  continued  to  Dr.  Macon's  house, 
from  which  place  B  and  H  companies  were  sent,  on 
the  15th,  to  scout  in  the  direction  of  Hanover  Court 
House.  The  advance  guard  captured  at  Hawes' 
Shop  seventy-five  mules  and  three  six-mule  teams 
from  Winder's  Confederate  brigade.  The  companies 
rejoined  the  regiment  the  same  night. 

It  was  at  this  camp  and  on  this  date  that  some 
of  the  pickets  reported  Major  Williams  for  alleged 
communication  with  the  enemy,  and  he  was  promptly 
arrested.  Two  days  later  he  addressed  the  following 
letter  asking  an  investigation  : 

"  Headquarters  6th  Cavalry,  May  17th,  1862. 
Assistant  Adjutant-General, 

Advance  Guard,  Army  of  Potomac. 
Sir: — On  the  evening  of  the  15th  instant,  I  was  placed  in 
arrest  as  a  prisoner  of  State,  a  guard  of  four  of  my  own  men 
put  over  me,  and  with  orders  to  shoot  me  if  I  attempted  to 
leave  the  tent.  A  procedure  so  extraordinary  in  itself,  inde- 
pendent of  the  humiliation  and  disgrace  which  it  must  impose 
upon  a  soldier  of  spirit  and  a  gentleman  of  pride,  could  only 
have  been  resorted  to  from  reasons  of  the  greatest  import- 
ance. The  General  Commanding  the  advance  guard  believed 
the  information  which  subjected  me  to  this  mortifying  re- 
straint sufficient  to  justify  his  order  no  doubt,  but,  as  the  fact 
of  my  arrest  is  known  to  the  men  of  my  regiment  and  tH6 
army  generally,  and  as  the  arrest  itself  casts  an  imputation 
upon  my  fidelity  as  an  officer,  I  respectfully  request  that  a 
3 


34  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

Board  of  Examination  be  appointed  by  the   General  Com- 
manding to  investigate  the  circumstances. 
I  am  sir,  very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

L.  A.  Williams, 

Major,  6th  Cavalry." 

On  the  same  day,  May  17th,  he  was  released  by 
an  order  from  Headquarters  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  and  resumed  command  of  the  regiment, 
which  he  continued  to  exercise  until  June  26th,  when 
he  was  disabled  and  remained  absent  sick  until  Sep- 
tember 3d,  1862.  He  was  then  placed  on  duty  in 
New  York  City,  where  he  continued  until  dismissed 
by  order,   March   nth,   1863. 

In  the  calm  deliberation  which  should  be  ofiven 
such  a  subject,  after  the  lapse  of  years,  it  must  be 
frankly  acknowledged  that  the  services  of  this  officer 
in  battle  with  his  regiment  should  have  precluded 
suspicion  as  to  his  loyalty.  A  year  previous,  when 
resignations  were  matters  of  daily  occurrence,  there 
was  much  uncertainty  as  to  how  officers  stood  on  the 
burning  questions  of  the  day,  but  this  should  have 
been  obliterated  in  the  cases  of  all  who  had  actually 
participated  in  battle. 

Major  Lawrence  Williams  was  an  officer  of  the 
old  army  and  was  promoted  by  selection  from  cap- 
tain. Tenth  Infantry,  to  be  major  of  the  Sixth 
Cavalry.  At  the  time  of  the  advance  from  York- 
town,  up  the  Peninsula,  Mrs.  Robert  E.  Lee  and  her 


THE    PENINSULA    CAMPAIGN.  35 

daughter,  were  at  the  White  House,  and  Major 
WilHams  was  a  kinsman  of  the  Lees.  When 
arrested  on  the  picket  Hne  by  Lieutenant  Madden 
and  men  of  his  own  regiment,  the  matter  was  not 
reported,  but  Major  Williams  was  warned  back  inside 
the  lines.  He  was  subsequently  arrested  outside  the 
lines  in  front  of  the  First  Cavalry,  and  when  brought 
in  was  ordered  confined  to  his  tent,  under  guard,  for 
attempting  to  communicate  with  the  enemy.  There 
can  be  no  reasonable  doubt  but  that  Major  Williams, 
having  learned  of  Mrs.  Lee's  presence  at  the  White 
House,  contemplated  a  friendly  visit,  without  any 
criminal  motive  whatever.  The  last  thing  to  expect 
of  the  Lees,  if  they  received  him  at  all,  would  be  for 
them  to  allow  a  kinsman  to  imperil  his  honor  by 
secret  and  disloyal  communication.  Two  centuries 
of  family  pride  would  have  forbidden  the  thought  of 
such  a  transaction.  General  Fitzhugh  Lee,  when 
asked  for  any  information  he  could  give  concerning 
Major  Williams  and  this  charge  against  him,  replied : 

"  I  saw  him  on  the  Peninsula  as  McClellan's  army  was 
advancing  on  Richmond.  At  the  time  I  was  commanding 
two  regiments  of  cavalry,  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle  on  an 
open  field,  just  in  rear  of  a  slight  elevation  upon  which  a  road 
ran.  Lawrence  Williams  charged  down  this  road  at  the 
head  of  what  looked  like  a  squadron  of  cavalry,  but  turned 
off  immediately  upon  seeing  the  line  of  battle,  just  as  he  was 
in  front  of  me  and  not  very  far  ofT.  I  recognized  him  and 
shot  at  him  with  my  pistol.  He  and  his  men  quickly  dis- 
appeared behind  a  portion  of  McClellan's  advance.     I  did  not 


36  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

know  that  he  had  been  arrested  between  the  lines  on  the 
Peninsula.  During  these  movements,  I  remember  that  Mrs. 
General  Robert  E.  Lee  and  one  of  her  daughters  were  down 
at  the  White  House.  It  is  possible  that  Williams  attempted 
to  communicate  with  them  in  some  way  for  social  purposes. 
I  am  quite  satisfied  that  he  was  not  a  traitor  to  the  Union 
cause." 

While  still  absent  from  the  regiment,  reported 
sick.  Major  Williams  was  placed  on  duty  in  New 
York  by  General  Scott,  who  had  been  a  friend  and 
admirer  of  the  Lees,  in  the  old  army. 

His  younger  brother,  William  Orton  Williams,  who 
had  cast  his  fortunes  with  the  Confederacy,  had  a 
strange  career,  which  ended  in  a  tragic  manner. 
He  was  appointed  a  2d  lieutenant,  Second  U.  S,  Cav- 
alry, in  March,  1861,  and  promoted  in  April  to  ist 
lieutenant.  The  records  at  the  War  Department  con- 
tain these  instructions :  "  To  join  his  company  which 
arrived  in  this  city.  His  services  will  be  required 
for  a  few  hours  daily  at  the  Headquarters  of  the 
Army ;  not  to  interfere,  however,  with  his  company 
duties."  He  was  placed  in  arrest  on  May  7th,  1861, 
and  ordered  to  report  to  the  commanding  officer  at 
Fort  Columbus,  New  York  Harbor,  where  he  arrived 
May  loth,  1861.  He  resigned  from  the  service  June 
loth,   1861. 

He  first  came  into  public  notice  in  the  Confed- 
erate service  as  a  captain  of  artillery,  under  General 
Leonidas    Polk   at    Columbus,    Kentucky.      He   was 


THE    PENINSULA    CAMPAIGN.  37 

tall,  had  a  fine  figure,  a  military  air  and  was  consid- 
erable of  a  martinet.  The  horses  of  his  battery- 
Were  stabled  at  this  camp.  One  day,  while  attend- 
ing the  morning  stables  of  his  battery,  and  having 
completed  his  inspection,  he  was  passing  out  when 
he  stopped  in  front  of  a  young  soldier  and  asked 
him  why  he  did  not  salute  him,  and  received  the 
reply  "  I  saluted  you,  sir,  as  you  passed  down  and  I 
did  not  think  I  had  to  salute  afterwards,  every  time 
you  might  pass  by  me  in  going  about  the  stable." 
The  soldier  was  then  ordered  to  salute  him,  but 
failed  to  do  so.  Williams  drew  his  sabre  and  thrust 
it  into  the  man's  body,  killing  him.  The  matter  was 
investigated  and  Williams  called  upon  for  a  report 
of  the  affair,  which  he  submitted  in  writing,  and 
which  concluded  as  follows  :  "  For  his  ignorance,  I 
pitied  him  ;  for  his  insolence,  I  forgave  him  ;  for  his 
insubordination,  I  slew  him." 

About  this  time  General  Polk  was  ordered  to 
evacuate  Columbus,  and  move  in  the  direction  of 
Corinth,  Mississippi.  The  confusion  arising  from 
the  movement  caused  the  matter  to  be  dropped  ; 
but  Williams  was  transferred  to  duty  elsewhere,  and 
did  not  reappear  for  a  year  or  more.  He  was 
assigned  to  various  places  on  unimportant  duty. 

He  was  next  heard  of  in  the  Western  army, 
returning  from  Richmond  with  a  commission  as 
colonel  of  cavalry,  with  orders  to  report  to  General 


38  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

Bragg,  at  Shelby ville,  Tennessee,  in  1863.  At  this 
time,  General  Van  Dorn  had  a  large  body  of  cavalry, 
including  Forrest's  command,  at  Columbia,  Tenn- 
essee. Colonel  Williams  was  ordered  to  report  to 
Van  Dorn,  for  assignment  to  a  Tennessee  regiment, 
made  up  of  two  independent  battalions,  one  of  which 
was  under  the  command  of  Major  Dick  McCann. 
General  Van  Dorn  issued  the  order  and  Colonel 
Williams  went  to  assume  command.  The  entire 
regiment,  officers  and  men,  promptly  refused  to 
accept  him  as  their  colonel,  and  notified  him  that 
they  would  not  serve  under  him.  General  Van 
Dorn  did  not  attempt  to  force  or  persuade  them. 
This  assio-nment  was  not  at  all  in  accordance  with 
the  practice  of  the  Confederate  troops  in  the  ap- 
pointment of  their  officers,  and  it  was  recognized 
that  the  attempt  to  foist  him  on  this  regiment  could 
not  succeed.  Colonel  Williams  remained  around 
Columbia  for  a  while.  He  had  Lieutenant  Peter, 
who  had  been  assigned  to  duty  with  him  by  the 
War  Department,  as  an  adjutant,  and  he  appears  to 
have  commanded  the  second  brigade  of  Martin's 
Cavalry  Division,  in  April,   1863. 

Apparently  without  any  authority  whatever,  or 
mentioning  the  object  of  his  expedition  to  any  one, 
he  took  Lieutenant  Peter  and  visited  the  Federal 
post  at  Franklin,  where  they  were  arrested.  Both 
of  them  were  hung  as  spies,  because   they  were   in 


THE    PENINSULA    CAMPAIGN.  39 

the  uniform  of  the  Federal  army  and  within  the 
lines.  The  official  history  of  this  is  shown  briefly 
in  these  dispatches  from  the  Rebellion  Records  : 

"  Franklin,  June  8th,  1863.     11.30  p.  m, 
Brigadier-General  Garfield: 

Two  men  came  in  camp  about  dark,  dressed  in  our  uniform, 
with  horses  and  equipments  to  correspond,  saying  that  they 
were  Colonel  Orton,  Inspector-General,  and  Major  Dunlap, 
Assistant,  having  an  order  from  Adjutant-General  Townsend 
and  your  order  to  inspect  all  posts,  but  their  conduct  was  so 
singular  that  we  have  arrested  them,  and  they  insisted  that  it 
was  important  to  go  to  Nashville  to-night.  The  one  represent- 
ing himself  as  Colonel  Orton  [W.  Orton  Williams]  is  probably 
a  regular  officer  of  the  old  army,  but  Colonel  Watkins,  com- 
manding cavalry  here,  in  whom  I  have  the  utmost  confidence, 
is  of  the  opinion  that  they  are  spies,  who  have  either  forged 
or  captured  their  orders.  They  can  give  no  consistent  account 
of  their  conduct. 

J.  P.  Baird, 
Colonel,  Commanding  Post." 


"  Headquarters  Department  of  the  Cumberland, 
Murfreesborough,  June  8th  [1863].     12  p.m. 

Colonel  J.  P.  Baird,  Franklin: 

The  two  men  are  no  doubt  spies.  Call  a  drum-head  court- 
martial  to-night,  and  if  they  are  found  to  be  spies,  hang  them 
before  morning  without  fail.  No  such  men  have  been  accred- 
ited from  these  headquarters. 

J.  A.  Garfield, 
Brigadier-General  and  Chief  of  Staff." 


40  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

"  Franklin,  June  9th,  1863. 
General  Garfield,  Chief  of  Staff: 

The  men  have  been  tried,  found  guilty  and  executed,  in 
compliance  with  your  order. 

J.  P.  Baird, 
Colonel,   Commanding  Post." 


This  affair  has  never  been  understood  by  Con- 
federate officers.  In  fact,  Williams'  whole  career 
seems  to  have  been  incomprehensible  from  begin- 
ning to  end.  The  value  of  any  information  he  could 
have  gotten  about  Franklin,  as  to  the  works  or 
forces  there,  would  have  been  of  no  especial  import- 
ance to  General  Van  Dorn,  whose  troops  were  quar- 
tered in  a  part  of  the  State  where  forage  was 
abundant,  and  who  had  a  sufficient  number  of  men 
to  have  defeated  any  attempt  of  that  portion  of  the 
army  around  Franklin  to  assail  him. 

It  should  be  observed  that  Colonel  Williams  had, 
in  the  meantime,  changed  his  name  from  W.  Orton 
Williams  to  Colonel  Lawrence  W.  Orton. 

Lieutenant  Peter  was  a  kinsman  of  the  Williams 
brothers  and  all  were  connected  with  well-known 
families.  G.  W.  P.  Custis,  of  "  Arlington,"  Virginia, 
and  Mrs.  Peter,  of  "  Tudor  Place,"  Georgetown, 
were  brother  and  sister.  The  former  was  the  father 
of  Mrs.  R.  E.  Lee,  and  the  latter  the  mother  of 
Mrs.  Williams.  It  seems  strange  that  such  untimely 
fate  should  have  overtaken  these  officers,  when  their 


THE    PENINSULA    CAMPAIGN.  4I 

kinsmen,  the  three  Lees,  emerged  from  the  four 
years  of  fratricidal  strife  with  the  high  regard  of 
the  entire  country,  notwithstanding  they  had  all 
previously  held  commissions  in  the  regular  army. 

It  was  a  matter  of  great  regret  on  the  part  of  all, 
that  young  Lieutenant  Peter  should  have  forfeited 
his  life  through  Williams'  folly.  Many  Confederate 
officers  believed  that  Williams,  finding  his  usefulness 
within  the  Confederate  lines  entirely  destroyed, 
intended  Sfoing;  within  the  Federal  lines  with  a  view 
to  either  reaching  Canada,  or  quietly  remaining 
north.  His  whole  career  was  certainly  an  eventful 
one  and  any  good  within  him  seems  to  have  been 
stultified  by  the  entire  want  of  stability  in  his  char- 
acter. 

On  May  i8th  the  regiment  moved  to  Cold  Har- 
bor and  on  the  20th  A  and  M  companies  were  sent 
on  a  reconnoissance  to  New  Bridge  on  the  Chicka- 
hominy,  where  an  engagement  took  place,  in  which 
A  company  lost  a  corporal,  killed,  and  two  men 
wounded.  On  May  21st  the  regiment  marched  to 
Gaines'  Mill,  and  on  the  24th  to  Mechanicsville, 
where  it  was  engaged  with  the  enemy  for  about  three 
hours,  and  at  the  close  of  the  action  was  sent  on 
picket  at  Shady  Grove  and  Bethesda  Church. 

On  May  25th  the  regiment  moved  at  7  a.  m.,  in 
the  direction  of  Hanover  Court  House,  and  at  noon 
came  in  contact  with  the  enemy  at  Winston's  Farm. 


42  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

During  the  engagement  which  ensued,  the  regiment 
acted  as  support  for  Benson's  Battery  and  lost  one 
man  and  two  horses  wounded.  The  enemy  soon 
retreated  in  the  direction  of  Hanover  Court  House, 
which  was  promptly  occupied  by  a  squadron  under 
Captains  Sanders  and  Hays.  While  pursuing  the 
retreating  enemy  beyond  Hanover  Court  House,  the 
brigade  was  recalled  to  resist  an  attack  from  the 
rear,  which,  having  been  accomplished,  the  regiment 
camped  for  the  night  on  the  battlefield. 

On  the  morning  of  the  28th  the  regiment  was 
ordered  to  burn  the  railroad  bridge  over  the  South 
Anna  river.  Four  squadrons  proceeded  to  Wick- 
ham's  Farm,  with  materials  for  firing  the  bridge. 
Colonel  Wickham  was  laid  up  with  a  sabre  wound 
received  in  the  action  with  Captain  Sanders,  and  was 
captured  and  paroled.  The  nature  of  the  ground 
was  not  favorable  for  action  of  any  considerable  body 
of  cavalry,  so  that  Lieutenant  Kerin  was  detached 
with  a  platoon,  and  he  accomplished  the  entire 
destruction  of  the  bridge,  although  it  required  about 
three  hours,  the  regiment  being  held  on  the  road 
to  support  the  detachment.  At  midnight  of  the 
same  day.  Lieutenants  Kerin  and  Coats  left  camp 
with  twenty  men  and  successfully  destroyed  the 
county  bridge,  about  two  hundred  yards  above  the 
railroad  bridge  previously  burned.  Another  bridge 
was  destroyed  by  Captain  Cram.     It  had  been  fired 


THE    PENINSULA    CAMPAIGN.  43 

on  the  27th  by  Rush's  Lancers,  who  were  prematurely 
withdrawn. 

On  the  night  of  May  28th  orders  were  received 
to  destroy  still  another  bridge  over  the  South  Anna, 
which  belonged  to  the  Virginia  Central  Railroad. 
The  enemy  was  supposed  to  be  in  force  near  this 
bridge,  and  a  section  of  artillery  and  two  companies 
of  infantry  were  sent  with  the  Sixth  Cavalry.  Cap- 
tain Abert  was  sent  with  his  squadron  in  advance 
and  destroyed  the  bridge.  Captain  Kautz  with  his 
squadron  supported  Captain  Abert  while  engaged  in 
this  work.  On  its  return  to  camp,  the  regiment  was 
ordered  at  once  to  Cold  Harbor,  where  it  arrived 
shortly  after  midnight,  and  continued  to  occupy  the 
camp  at  that  point  for  some  time,  performing  picket 
and  scouting  duty. 

To  illustrate  these  duties,  on  June  2d  Captain 
Kautz  proceeded  with  his  squadron  and  two  squad- 
rons of  lancers  on  an  expedition  to  Wormley's  Ferry, 
on  the  Pamunkey,  and  destroyed  a  sloop  and  a  number 
of  smaller  boats  concealed  there.  Sergeant  George 
Piatt  swam  across  the  river  and  secured  a  canoe  in 
which  Lieutenant  Balder  and  six  men  crossed  the 
turbid  stream  and  arrested  Doctor  Wormley,  at 
whose  place  the  boats  had  been  hidden  by  towing 
them  into  a  creek  and  felling  trees  to  cover  the 
entrance  with  foliage.  As  usual,  in  such  cases,  the 
slaves  carried  information  of  the  location. 


44  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

In  closing  his  report  of  these  operations,  General 
Emory  says  : 

"  The  first  squadron  of  the  Sixth  U.  S.  Cavahy,  composed 
of  Companies  B  and  H,  commanded  by  Captains  Kautz  and 
Savage,  led  the  advance,  which  they  have  done  most  of  the 
way  from  Yorktown,  in  the  most  gallant  style." 

The  regiment  had  now  been  undergoing  such 
constant  marching  and  fighting,  all  the  w^ay  from 
Yorktown,  that  the  horses  were  rapidly  becoming 
unserviceable,  not  only  from  exhaustion,  but  because 
of  the  condition  of  their  feet.  There  was  a  scarcity  of 
horseshoes  and  nails,  little  or  no  coal,  and  although 
the  companies  had  three  forges,  there  was  only  one 
anvil  amongst  them.  The  regimental  return  of  Feb- 
ruary 28th  shows  that  twenty-eight  officers  and  nine 
hundred  and  fifty-three  men  were  present  for  duty, 
and  the  return  for  May,  made  at  camp,  eight  miles  from 
Richmond,  Virginia,  shows  twenty-four  officers  and 
six  hundred  and  seventy  men.  The  difference  repre- 
sents the  loss, — killed,  wounded,  captured,  etc., — 
incident  to  the  incessant  labors  of  the  cavalry  in 
advance  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  which  was 
confronted  at  all  times  by  active  and  alert  foemen, 
commanded  by  capable  and  courageous  generals. 

While  the  regiment  had  its  camp  at  Cold  Harbor, 
during  the  period  the  army  was  before  Richmond, 
it  was  charged  with  picketing  at  Atlee  station,  and 
a  part  of  the  time  on  the  extreme    right,  near  Old 


THE    PENINSULA    CAMPAIGN.  45 

Church,  and  made  frequent  reconnoissances  to  Ash- 
land and  Hanover  Court   House. 

On  June  13th,  when  General  J.  E.  B.  Stuart  made 
his  celebrated  raid  to  the  rear  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  the  regiment  participated  actively  in  the 
futile  attempts  made  to  capture  and  destroy  his 
command.  This  raid  made  Stuart  so  famous  and 
created  such  a  feeling  of  insecurity  concerning  trains 
and  supplies,  that  it  will  not  be  amiss  to  briefly  sketch 
its  history. 

General  Lee  gave  written  instructions  to  General 
Stuart  to  select  twelve  hundred  cavalrymen  and  a 
section  of  artillery  and  penetrate  to  the  rear  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac.  The  instructions  and  the 
destination  of  the  command  were  kept  profoundly 
secret.  The  personnel  included  Fitzhugh  Lee,  W.  H. 
F.  Lee,  Mosby  and  other  daring  and  accomplished 
cavalrymen. 

The  force  was  quietly  concentrated  near  the 
Chickahominy,  and  camped  after  the  first  day's 
march  opposite  Hanover  Court  House,  twenty-two 
miles  from  Richmond.  Without  sound  of  trumpets 
or  display  of  flags,  the  march  was  resumed  early 
the  following  morning  and  directed  on  Hanover 
Court  House,  through  which  Gregg's  squadron  of  the 
Sixth  was  just  passing  toward  Mechanicsville,  igno- 
rant of  Stuart's  column  being  in  the  vicinity.  Fitzhugh 
Lee  reached  the  intersection  of  the  road  just  after  the 


46  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

squadron  passed  and  in  time  to  capture  a  straggling 
sergeant. 

The  march  was  then  directed  on  Hawes'  Shop, 
and  the  column  was  discovered  by  a  company  of 
the  Fifth  Cavalry,  under  Lieutenant  E.  H.  Leib, 
which  was  scouting  from  Old  Church  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Hanover  Court  House.  The  approach  of 
the  Confederates  was  reported  at  once  to  Captain 
Royall,  who  commanded  the  outpost  at  Old  Church. 
Lieutenant  Leib  was  being  steadily  driven  back, 
and  Captain  Royall  hastily  relieved  the  pickets, 
joined  him  with  such  force  as  he  could  collect, 
and  attacked  Stuart's  advance,  driving-  it  back  in  a 
sabre  charge.  Royall  was  immediately  attacked 
by  a  largely  superior  force,  but  in  order  to  gain 
time  for  his  messengers  to  warn  the  troops  in  rear, 
he  twice  wheeled  about  and  charged  the  enemy. 
The  sabre  charges  were  made  in  columns  of  fours 
by  both  combatants,  and  Captain  Royall  was  cred- 
ited with  killing  Captain  Latane,  who  led  the  Con- 
federate squadron,  'which  advanced  in  the  second 
charge.  Captain  Royall  was  wounded  several  times 
and  compelled,  through  weakness,  to  turn  over  the 
command. 

Captain  Royall  had  previously  sent  Lieutenant 
Watkins,  of  his  regiment,  to  report  to  General 
Cooke,  commanding  the  Cavalry  Division.  Orders 
were  quickly  given   for   Major  Williams  to  take  the 


THE    PENINSULA    CAMPAIGN.  47 

Fifth  and  Sixth  Cavalry  to  Royall's  assistance. 
The  Sixth  started  at  once,  and  by  taking  a  short 
cut,  came  into  the  road  ahead  of  Whiting's  com- 
mand— the  Fifth — and  assuming  command  of  both 
regiments,  Major  WilHams  hastened  to  the  cross- 
roads where  the  enemy  had  fought  Captain  Royall's 
squadron,  and  encountered  Stuart's  pickets  there 
about  3.30  p.  m.  ;  the  main  body  had  passed  half 
an  hour  before,  and  the  pickets  now  withdrew  to 
follow  them.  Lieutenant  Watkins  had  been  sent 
back  to  notify  Captain  Royall  of  the  coming  of 
relief,  but  returned  reporting  the  camp  burned,  and 
that  the  enemy  had  passed  on  in  the  direction  of 
the  White  House.  Lieutenant  Balder  was  sent 
with  a  platoon  of  the  Sixth  to  follow  and  locate  the 
enemy,  which  he  accomplished  without  difficulty,  by 
following  rapidly  along  the  road  taken  by  the 
vedettes,  who  had  just  withdrawn,  and  who  led  his 
platoon  directly  to  Stuart's  rear  guard. 

Just  at  the  moment  when  Lieutenant  Balder 
reported  the  whereabouts  of  and  direction  taken 
by  Stuart's  column,  Major  Williams  received  an 
order  from  General  Cooke  to  hold  his  position, 
scour  the  roads  and  collect  information.  This  was 
done,  while  Stuart  went  almost  unmolested  on  his 
rapid  march,  creating  so  much  confusion  that  twen- 
ty-five non-commissioned  officers  and  privates  of 
the    Fifth    Cavalry  caught    up  with   his    rear   guard, 


48  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

under  a  flag  of  truce,  and  surrendered,  with  horses 
and  arms,  under  the  impression  that  they  were 
surrounded. 

Lieutenant  Spangler,  Regimental  Quartermaster, 
was  near  Garlick's  Landing  with  the  wagon  train, 
and  discovered  Stuart's  column  about  an  hour  after 
the  regiment  had  halted  at  the  scene  of  the  Royall 
fight.  This  discovery  was  reported,  but  seems  not 
to  have  been  received  by  General  Warren,  who 
had  been  hurried  forward  with  infantry,  until  about 
midnight.  General  Warren's  infantry  marched  back 
and  forth,  over  forty  miles,  between  5  p.  m.  on  the 
13th  and  7  a.  m.  on  the  15th,  but  the  enemy 
proved  so  elusive  that  they  only  traced  them  by 
rumor. 

Stuart  left  a  squadron  at  Garlick's  Landing  long 
enough  to  destroy  a  couple  of  transports  and  some 
stores,  but  continued  the  march  of  his  column 
towards  Tunstall's  station,  where  he  captured  a 
wagon  train  en  route,  but  failed  to  capture  a  rail- 
road train  which,  at  high  speed,  brushed  away  the 
obstructions  which  had  been  placed  on  the  track. 
There  was  no  time  for  Stuart  to  tarry,  for  he  had 
reason  to  know  that  he  had  aroused  the  whole 
Federal  army.  He  continued  his  rapid  march  dur- 
ing the  bright  moonlight  night,  with  which  he  was 
favored,  and  recrossed  the  Chickahominy  at  Forge 
Bridge     about     daylight.       Stuart     summarized     the 


THE    PENINSULA    CAMPAIGN.  49 

results  of  his  raid  as  165  prisoners,  260  horses 
and  mules,  and  the  creation  of  such  a  panic  in  the 
Federal  army,  that  he  estimated  that  not  less  than 
ten  thousand  men  would  be  detached  from  the 
fighting  line  to  guard  against  similar  expeditions- 
General  Emory  in  his  report,  said  : 

"  The  damage  done  by  the  enemy  is  not  commensurate 
with  the  bold  spirit  with  which  the  raid  was  dictated.  He 
left  faster  than  he  came,  and  the  attempt  to  break  up  the 
railroad  communication  was  an  entire  failure,  resulting  in 
cutting  telegraph  wires,  tearing  up  a  single  rail,  and  burning 
one  carload  of  corn.  The  whole  business,  however,  is  sug- 
gestive, and  shows  on  the  part  of  the  enemy  great  knowledge 
of  localities  within  our  pickets,  even  that  of  the  sutler  estab- 
lishment." 

There  was  no  doubt  that  all  those  remainingf  at 
home  in  the  region  occupied  were  in  sympathy  and 
communication  with  the  enemy.  Major  Williams 
arrested  and  sent  to  the  rear  a  number  of  supposed 
citizens,  one  of  whom  the  negroes  reported  as  an 
officer  of  the  Hanover  Legion,  and  whom  they 
accused  of  ofTering  a  bribe  to  one  of  their  number 
to  conduct  the  Confederate  column  by  a  circuitous 
route  to  Captain  Royall's  camp,  so  as  to  surprise 
and  capture  his  entire  command. 

Stuart's  raid  did  more  damage  through  its  effect 
on  the  public  mind  than  it  really  accomplished 
against  the  army,  but  it  taught  him  what  he  could 
expect  from  his  followers,  and  he  was  not  slow  to 
profit  by  the  knowledge. 
4 


50  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

The  cavalry  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  had 
not  yet,  however,  been  equipped  and  trained  for 
the  independent  action  for  which  it  subsequently 
became  so  justly  celebrated.  General  Cooke  (fath- 
er-in-law of  J.  E.  B.  Stuart,  his  opponent)  was  a 
thorough  cavalryman,  as  were  many  of  the  distin- 
guished officers  under  him,  a  number  of  whom 
subsequently  rose  to  important  commands.  But 
the  American  cavalry  idea  was,  day  by  day,  crystal- 
lizing, and  all  the  regiments  were  begging  and 
struggling  for  carbines  and  the  equipment  which 
enabled  them  later  on  to  be  comparatively  inde- 
pendent of  infantry  supports.  On  June  21st,  1862, 
just  after  Stuart's  raid,  and  a  year  after  the  regi- 
ment had  been  organized,  there  were  only  one 
hundred  and  forty  men  present,  armed  with  car- 
bines, whereas  the  Confederate  cavalry  was  quite 
generally  equipped  with  firearms,  including  car- 
bines, shotguns  and  rifles. 

During  the  operations  around  Richmond,  June 
25th  to  July  2d,  1862,  known  as  the  Seven  Days' 
battles,  the  Sixth  Cavalry  was  detached  from  the 
Reserve  Brigade  to  duty  with  General  Stoneman,  and 
Gregg's  squadron  was  on  the  extreme  right  when 
the  action  opened.  General  P.  St.  George  Cooke 
personally  commanded  the  cavalry  which  formed 
the  extreme  rear  guard,  and  really  saved  Fitz  John 
Porter's  batteries,  which  had  been  left  without  sup- 


THE    PENINSULA    CAMPAIGN.  5 1 

port  at  Gaines'  Mill.  General  Cooke,  in  his  report, 
specially  commended  two  men,  one  of  whom  was 
Private  D.  F.  King,  Troop  B,  Sixth  Cavalry,  "  for 
serving  above  that  position  with  intelligence,  bravery 
and  promptness." 

June  25th  the  regiment  moved  from  Cold  Harbor 
to  Hanover  Court  House,  and  the  next  day  to 
Tunstall's  station.  The  movement  of  the  army 
from  the  Chickahominy  to  the  James  having  com- 
menced, the  cavalry  retired  by  way  of  York  river. 
There  was  a  large  quantity  of  stores  at  White 
House  Landing  to  be  moved,  and  the  pursuit  of 
the  retiring  column  by  the  enemy's  cavalry  was  so 
energetic  that  it  became  necessary  to  take  some 
steps  to  check  it.  The  Sixth  Cavalry,  with  a  sec- 
tion of  artillery,  was  placed  at  the  crossing  of 
Black  river,  which  was  not  fordable  for  some  dis- 
tance above  and  below  this  crossing.  The  enemy 
attacked  and  endeavored  several  times  to  force  a 
passage,  but  every  attempt  was  defeated ;  the  posi- 
tion was  defended  until  after  dark,  when  the  torch 
was  applied  to  such  stores  as  could  not  be  moved. 
The  regiment  then  withdrew  and,  acting  as  rear 
guard,  marched  all  night,  arriving  at  Williamsburg 
about  8  a.  m.  of  the  27th,  and  on  the  following 
day  continued  the  march  back  to  Yorktown. 

On  July  2d  camp  was  moved  to  a  point  near 
Hampton,   where    the    regiment    remained    until    it 


52  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO.  • 

embarked  on  the  7th,  at  Fort  Monroe,  for  Harri- 
son's Landing  on  the  James,  in  the  vicinity  of  which 
place  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  had  concentrated 
after  the  Seven  Days'  battles.  The  regiment  was 
camped  at  "  Westover,"  one  of  the  most  famous  of 
the  old  Virginia  estates,  where  it  remained  until 
August  4th,  employed  in  picketing  the  extreme 
left  towards   Haxall's. 

While  the  regiment  lay  at  "  Westover,"  news 
was  received  of  the  death  of  Lieutenant  McQuade 
in  prison  at  Richmond  of  wounds  received  at  Bull 
Run  the  preceding  summer,  at  which  time  he  was 
captured.  The  death  of  Lieutenant  Peter  McGrath 
was  also  reported  at  this  time  from  New  Mexico, 
where  he  had  continued  on  duty  after  his  appoint- 
ment in  the  Sixth.  He  died  of  wounds  received  in 
action  at  Apache  Canon  with  the  Confederate  col- 
umn, which  came  up  from  Texas  and  invaded  New 
Mexico.  A  number  of  officers  were  detailed  from 
the  regiment  while  in  this  camp  as  aides  for  Gen- 
erals McClellan,  Sumner,  Pleasanton,  and  others, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  their  loss  was  keenly 
felt. 

On  August  4th  the  regiment  formed  a  part  of 
General  Pleasanton's  brigade  of  General  Hooker's 
command,  and  it  had,  as  usual,  the  advance  of  the 
reconnoissance  in  force  to  Malvern  Hill,  where  it 
participated    in    the    action    of    August    5th,    losing 


THE    PENINSULA    CAMPAIGN.  53 

four  men  killed  and  a  number  of  wounded  and 
prisoners. 

The  regiment  acted  as  rear  guard  returning  to 
Haxall's  Landing  and  remained  outside  the  works, 
forming  part  of  the  grand  guard,  under  General 
Pleasanton,  and  picketing  towards  Malvern  Hill 
and  Richmond.  On  August  14th  the  evacuation 
by  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  had  proceeded  so  far 
that  General  Pleasanton  was  directed  to  withdraw 
all  troops  except  the  First  and  Sixth  Cavalry,  and 
Robertson's  and  Benson's  horse  batteries ;  this  brig- 
ade was  forced  to  occupy  a  line  of  about  fifteen 
miles,  with  pickets  and  scouts  covering  all  the 
roads  leadingf  into  Harrison's  Landingr.  About  mid- 
night  of  the  i6th  the  pickets  were  withdrawn  from 
Haxall's  ;  the  enemy  followed,  and  the  next  after- 
noon charged  the  pickets  to  the  west  of  Harrison's 
Landing,  wounding  one  man. 

Amongst  the  few  specially  recommended  by  Gen- 
eral Pleasanton  for  favorable  notice  were  Captains 
Sanders  and  Gregg,  and  Lieutenants  Ward  and 
Spangler,  Sixth  Cavalry. 

The  evacuation  of  Harrison's  Landing  having 
been  completed  on  August  i8th,  the  regiment 
marched  as  the  rear  guard  of  the  army  through 
Charles  City  Court  House,  and  on  the  following 
day  crossed  the  Chickahominy,  reaching  Yorktown 
on    the    evening   of    the    20th,    and    remained   there 


54  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

until  the  last  day  of  the  month,  when  it  was 
embarked  on  transports  for  Alexandria,  Virginia. 
In  closing  his  report  of  the  operation  of  covering 
the  withdrawal  and  the  performance  of  very  arduous 
duties  as  rear  guard.  General  Pleasanton  said : 

"  I  respectfully  request  of  the  General  commanding  that  an 
appreciation  of  the  gallant  bearing  of  the  men  of  this  com- 
mand may  be  evinced  by  permitting  the  following  named 
regiments  and  batteries  to  inscribe  on  their  colors  "  Malvern 
Hill,  August  5th,  1862":  the  Sixth  Regular  Cavalry,  the 
Eighth  Pennsylvania  Cavalry,  the  Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry, 
Robertson's  battery  of  horse  artillery  and  Benson's  battery 
of  horse  artillery.  These  were  the  only  troops  that  were 
actually  engaged  with  the  enemy  on  that  day;  the  only  troops 
that  followed  in  pursuit,  and  that  were  the  last  to  leave  the 
field  when  the  army  was  withdrawn.  They  victoriously 
closed  the  fighting  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  on  the 
Peninsula." 

The  regiment,  in  its  first  brief  but  arduous  cam- 
paign, had  won  the  right  to  now  emblazon  upon 
its  standard  the  names  of  ten  engagements  in 
which  it  had  participated  with  honor.  The  gallantry 
and  ability  of  its  officers  had  marked  many  of  them 
for  higher  commands,  which  unfortunately,  in  too 
many  instances,  was  to  sever  forever  their  connec- 
tion with  the  regiment.  Losses  had  begun  to  thin 
the  ranks,  but  the  experience  already  gained  by 
those  remaining  made  them  no  unimportant  factors 
in  the  solution  of  the  difficult  problems  which  faced 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  during  the  next  three 
years. 


THE    PENINSULA    CAMPAIGN. 


55 


At  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  the  Confederate 
cavalry  was  composed  of  the  flower  of  the  South- 
ern youth;  Each  trooper  was  required  to  provide 
his  mount  at  his  own  expense,  and  the  ranks  were 
filled  from  those  accustomed  to  an  outdoor  life  in 
the  saddle ;  until  the  long-continued  strugg-le  had 
completely  ruined  their  country  and  made  it  impos- 
sible to  secure  proper  remounts,  these  lusty  young 
followers  of  Stuart  gave  their  opponents  blow  for 
blow  and  enhanced  the  power  of  their  infantry  many 
fold.  Called  upon  constantly  to  test  its  powers 
against  these  brave  and  active  horsemen,  the  regi- 
ment added  to  its  reputation  at  each  and  every 
encounter. 


t  .^  l^^br^^fe^X  >* 


56  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 


CHAPTER   III. 

Maryland  Campaign. 

Back  to  Alexandria — Falls  Church — Sugar  Loaf  Mountain — 
Petersville — With  Franklin's  Corps — Stuart's  Maryland 
Raid — Carbines  received  at  Sharpsburg — Charlestow'n — 
HiLLSBORO — Expedition  to  Leesburg — With  General  Han- 
cock— Arduous  Cavalry  Service. 


>HE  preceding  chapter  left  the  regi- 
ment on  transports  returning  from 
the  scenes  of  the  Peninsula  Cam- 
paign, the  army  having  been  sum- 
moned for  the  defense  of  the  capital, 
which  was  menaced  by  the  presence 
of  a  victorious  enemy  marching  into  Maryland, 
thereby  threatening  both  Washington  and  Baltimore, 
as  well  as  Pennsylvania.  Alexandria  was  reached 
September  ist,  and  as  soon  as  the  weary  men 
and  horses  could  be  disembarked,  they  were  placed 
in  camp  near  Fort  Albany  where  the  precious  hours 
were  spent  in  the  preparation  for  the  coming  conflict 
with  Stuart's  cavalry,  which  had  already  advanced  to 
Fairfax  Court  House. 

A  part  of  the  regiment  was  detached  to  Dranes- 
ville,  under  General  Sigel,  and  the  remainder  advanced 
to  Falls  Church,  where  the  enemy's  cavalry  outposts 


MARYLAND    CAMPAIGN.  57 

were  encountered.  In  the  short  engagement  which 
ensued  the  regiment  lost  one  man  killed  and  three 
wounded. 

Lee's  troops  were  now  actively  threatening  Wash- 
ington and  the  cavalry  was  pushed  rapidly  to  the 
front  to  retain  contact  with  and  determine  the  strength 
of  the  invading  army.  During  the  night  of  the  5th 
the  regiment  crossed  the  Aqueduct  bridge  and  pro- 
ceeded to  Tennallytown,  which  was  reached  the  next 
day.  The  day  following  the  march  was  resumed  via 
Darnestown  and  Dawsonville,  where  the  regiment 
halted  for  a  rest.  September  8th,  the  regiment 
reached  Barnesville,  and  sent  scouting  parties  to- 
wards Frederick  City  and  Point  of  Rocks.  Picketing 
roads  and  scouting  were  actively  continued  until  the 
loth,  when  the  enemy  was  encountered  at  Sugar  Loaf 
Mountain,  where  Captain  Sanders  with  the  regiment, 
reinforced  by  two  guns,  endeavored  to  dislodge  them, 
but  was  unsuccessful.  The  regiment  lost  one  man 
killed  and  four  wounded  in  this  action. 

On  the  1 2th  the  reo^iment  marched  throuo-h  Green- 
field  Mills  and  Licksville  and  arrived  at  Middletown 
at  2  a.  m.  From  this  place  companies  were  sent  to 
guard  the  fords  of  the  Potomac  from  the  mouth  of 
the  Monocacy  to  Knoxville.  Companies  I  and  L, 
while  scouting  near  Petersville,  became  engaged  in 
a  skirmish  with  the  enemy  and  drove  them  from  that 
place.     The   regiment   operated  a   part  of  the  time 


58  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

with  Franklin's  Corps.  The  Battle  of  South  Moun- 
tain took  place  on  the  14th,  and  Antietam  on  the  i6th 
and  17th. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  on  September  loth 
Stuart  had  crossed  the  Potomac  at  McCoy's  Ferry, 
on  his  raid  into  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania,  making 
it  necessary  to  use  all  the  available  cavalry  against 
him.  General  Pleasanton  was  ordered  to  cut  off  his 
retreat,  should  he  make  for  any  of  the  fords  below 
the  position  of  the  main  army.  He  arrived  at  Me- 
chanicstown  about  an  hour  after  Stuart  passed  on  his 
retreat  to  the  river,  and  pushed  him  so  close  that  he 
prevented  his  crossing  at  the  mouth  of  the  Monocacy 
and  drove  him  to  White's  Ford,  which  had  been 
ordered  occupied  by  a  regiment.  The  regiment  had 
not  reached  its  appointed  station,  however,  and 
Stuart  crossed  back  into  Virginia  under  fire  of 
Pleasanton's  guns,  on  September  19th,  after  passing 
around  the  entire  army.  The  exhaustive  service  en- 
dured by  the  cavalry  broke  down  a  large  percentage 
of  the  horses.  To  illustrate  the  vigorous  manner 
in  which  the  pursuit  was  conducted,  it  need  only  be 
stated  that  General  Pleasanton  marched  his  command 
seventy-eight  miles  in  twenty-four  hours. 

After  much  hard  scouting  and  reconnoissance  duty 
the  regiment  arrived  at  Sharpsburg  on  the  evening 
of  the  2 1  St,  where  carbines,  which  had  been  repeat- 
edly asked  for  during  the  preceding  year,  were  at  last 


MARYLAND    CAMPAIGN.  59 

obtained.  Up  to  this  time  the  regiment,  excepting 
one  squadron,  had  been  equipped  with  pistols  and 
sabres  upon   the  European  model   of   light  cavalry. 

The  regiment  marched  by  way  of  Knoxville  to 
Harper's  Ferry,  and  arrived  at  Bolivar  Heights  Sep- 
tember 23d.  After  a  brief  respite,  the  regiment, 
together  with  the  Fifth  Cavalry  and  Robertson's 
Battery  of  horse  artillery,  made  a  reconnoissance  to 
Charlestown,  Virginia,  on  the  25th,  and  on  the  27th 
one  squadron  was  sent  across  Loudoun  Heights  to 
Hillsboro.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Lee's  army 
had  recently  captured  the  garrison  at  Harper's  Ferry, 
consisting  of  about  10,000  men,  in  fact,  all  but  the 
cavalry  under  the  gallant  Colonel  Davis,  who  not 
only  made  his  way  out,  but  captured  an  important 
ammunition  train  and  forced  the  drivers  to  take  the 
wagons  along  at  a  rapid  gait  until  he  delivered  them 
within  the  Federal  lines. 

On  the  28th  the  regiment  was  sent  on  a  second 
reconnoissance  to  Charlestown,  where  five  prisoners 
were  captured,  and  on  the  following  day  went  to 
Hillsboro  and  captured  three  more  prisoners.  On 
October  ist,  the  regiment  left  Bolivar  Heights  and, 
crossing  the  Shenandoah  to  Loudoun  Heights,  joined 
the  expedition  under  General  Kimball  to  Leesburg, 
Virginia. 

The  expedition  left  the  Potomac  about  five  miles 
from  Harper's  Ferry,  and,  passing  through  the  gorge 


6o  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

of  Dutchman's  Creek,  entered  the  Catoctin  valley, 
which  was  being  devastated  by  Confederate  cavalry. 
On  approaching  Waterford,  Captain  Sanders,  who 
commanded  the  regiment,  charged  with  the  advance 
platoon,  which  was  under  Lieutenant  Nolan,  and  cap- 
tured six  of  the  enemy's  pickets.  The  summit  of 
Catoctin  Mountain  was  reached  at  night,  and  at 
daylight  of  the  25th,  the  advance  guard  entered  Lees- 
burg  and  captured  a  number  of  sick  and  convalescent 
patients  left  by  the  enemy,  who  were  reported  at 
Aldie  and  Snicker's  Gap.  Returning  to  Bolivar 
Heights,  the  command  moved  into  the  valley 
between  the  Blue  Ridge  and  Short  Hills,  and  en- 
countered the  enemy's  pickets  all  along  the  route, 
but  they  constantly  withdrew  into  the  side  valleys. 
The  regiment  arrived  at  Bolivar  Heights  before  day- 
light of  the  3d,  and  changed  camp  on  the  4th  to 
Knoxville,  Maryland. 

In  closing  his  report.  General  Kimball  said  : 

"  I  desire  to  express  to  you  my  admiration  of  the  soldierly 
conduct  of  both  ofiQcers  and  men  of  the  Sixth  U.  S.  Cavalry, 
under  the  command  of  Captain  Sanders,  as  well  as  that  of 
Major  Robertson  of  the  horse  artillery." 

October  8th,  the  regiment  with  the  Fifth  Cavalry 
and  Robertson's  horse  battery  accompanied  General 
Hancock  to  Charlestown,  Virginia,  and  occupied  the 
town,  with  the  loss  of  one  man  wounded.  The 
regiment  subsequently  returned  to  the  camp  at 
Knoxville. 


MARYLAND    CAMPAIGN.  6 1 

While  at  this  camp,  C  company,  which  had  been 
on  the  eve  of  organization  several  times,  when  the 
recruits  were  taken  for  other  companies,  was  finally 
organized  on  October  25th;  this  completed  the 
organization,  but  the  next  day  the  regiment  was 
again  on  the  march  and  as  C  company  had  not 
received  equipments  or  horses,  it  was  left  behind 
with  other  dismounted  men,  over  three  hundred 
in  all. 

Upon  leaving  Knoxville,  the  command  crossed 
the  Potomac  on  the  pontoon  bridge  at  Berlin,  and 
proceeded  to  Lovettsville,  where  H  company  was 
detached  for  duty  at  General  Pleasanton's  head- 
quarters. While  here,  on  October  27th,  four  com- 
panies, A,  E,  K  and  M,  were  detached  for  picket 
duty  at  Hillsboro.  As  the  advance  guard  entered 
the  town,  it  was  charged  by  a  squad  of  Confederate 
cavalry%  and  a  corporal  of  E  company  was  captured 
through  his  horse  falling  in  the  street.  The  enemy 
was  promptly  driven  from  the  town,  which  was  then 
occupied  by  the  two  squadrons  until  the  31st,  when 
they  joined  the  regiment  at  Purcellville  to  which 
place  it  had  advanced. 

The  brief  time  which  had  elapsed  since  disem- 
barking at  Alexandria  had  been  taken  up  with  hard 
marching,  screening,  scouting  and  picket  duty, — 
purely  cavalry  work,  but  involving  much  hardship, 
constant     activity,    courage    and     quick    judgment. 


62 


FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 


While  the  regiment  had  no  conspicuous  part  in  the 
main  battle  of  Antietam,  it  was  constantly  striking 
the  enemy's  outposts  during  the  entire  campaign 
and  driving  them  in  with  loss  to  itself  as  well  as 
the  enemy.  General  Pleasanton,  in  making  his 
report  of  the  operations  resulting  in  driving  Lee's 
army  back  into  Virginia,  said  : 

"  The  services  of  this  division  (cavalry)  from  the  4th  of 
September  up  to  the  19th  were  of  the  most  constant  and 
arduous  character.  For  fifteen  successive  days  we  were  in 
contact  with  the  enemy,  and  each  day  conflicts  of  some  kind 
were  maintained,  in  which  we  gradually  but  steadily  advanced. 
The  officers  and  men  have  exerted  themselves  to  insure  the 
success  of  every  expedition  and  these  efforts  have  been  for- 
tunate. The  officers  entitled  to  mention  for  gallant  services 
are  ....  Captains  W.  P.  Sanders,  George  C.  Cram  and  Henry 
B.  Hays,  and  Lieutenant  Albert  Coats,  Adjutant." 

Lieutenant  Isaac  M.  Ward,  A.  D.  C,  and  J.  W. 
Spangler,  Division  Quartermaster,  belonging  to  the 
Sixth  were  also  commended  for  valuable  services. 

At  the   muster  of  October  31st,  there  were     ,^ 
present  nineteen  officers  and  five  hundred  and 
ten  men.     It  will  be  recalled  that  the  remment    .~^ 
embarked    for    the     Peninsula    Campaign    the  '^-^ 
previous  April,  one  thousand  strong. 


ON    TO    p-REDERICKSBURG.  6 


O 


CHAPTER    IV. 
On  to  Fredericksburg. 

Pursuit  of  Lee — Philamont — Uniontown — Upperville — Barbee's 
Cross  Roads — Amissville — General  Pleasanton's  Report — 
Sulphur  Springs — Picketing  the  Rappahannock — Freder- 
icksburg— Squadron  crosses  to  develop  Enemy's  Line — Camp 
at  Falmouth — Some  Difficulties  of  Service — Stoneman's 
Raid — Buford's  Raid  to  Gordonsville — Absence  of  Cavalry 
FROM  Chancellorsville — Captured  by  Guerrillas — Dahl- 
gren's  proposed  Raid — Cavalry  Battle  Beverly  Ford — 
Incidents. 

army  having  withdrawn  from 
vicinity  of  the  battlefield  of 
Antietam,  the  pursuit  was 
taken  up  by  a  portion  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac.  There 
was  considerable  controversy 
at  this  period  between  General 
McClellan  and  the  authorities 
in  Washing-ton,  because  the  army  did  not  immediately 
move  forward  and  crush  the  Confederates.  Gen- 
eral McClellan  reported  that  the  army,  which  had 
been  hurried  back  from  the  Peninsula  and  marched 
at  once  to  meet  Lee's  army  and  relieve  Harper's 
Ferry,  was  now  in  no  state  to  follow  up  the  victory 
of  Antietam,  but  needed  supplies  of  all  kinds,  and 
that  the   cavalry  must  be  remounted.     Supplies  and 


64  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

animals  were  forwarded  with  all  haste  possible,  but 
many  of  the  horses  were  in  no  condition  for  active 
work  against  such  horsemen  as  composed  Stuart's 
command.  It  developed  that  in  one  instance  a  lot 
of  horses  for  remounts,  had  been  kept  on  the  cars 
fifty  hours  without  water  or  forage,  before  delivery 
to  the  cavalry. 

The  Cavalry  Division  moved  forward,  and  the 
regiment  marched  by  way  of  Philamont,  Union- 
town  and  Upperville,  participating  in  the  cavalry 
action  at  the  first  named  place,  on  November  ist. 
On  the  second,  the  regiment  was  dismounted  and 
supported  a  battery  during  the  engagement  at 
Uniontown,  and  on  the  3d,  participated  in  a  running 
fight  all  the  way  from  Uniontown  to  Upperville. 
Next  day  the  pursuit  was  continued  to  the  Manassas 
Gap  railroad,  and  on  the  5th  to  Barbee's  Cross 
Roads,  where  the  regiment  came  under  a  heavy  fire 
of  artillery  and  dismounted  cavalry.  The  command 
was  dismounted  to  fight  on  foot  and  drove  the 
enemy  from  the  field. 

On  the  6th,  the  command  reached  Orleans,  and  on 
the  7th  again  came  up  with  the  Confederates  at 
Amissville  and  drove  them  out  of  that  place.  On 
the  8th  the  regiment  marched  to  Little  Washington 
and  engaged  in  a  skirmish,  capturing  a  wagon,  a 
dozen  horses,  an  officer  and  one  man,  and  then 
returned  to  Amissville.     While  here,  on  November 


ON    TO    FREDERICKSBURG.  65 

loth,  the  Confederate  cavalry  attacked  and  drove 
in  the  pickets.  The  command  moved  out  at  once, 
repulsed  the  enemy  and  re-established  the  line. 
The  Confederates  indulged  in  considerable  artillery 
firing-  with  but  little  result.  The  following  extract 
from  a  detailed  report  of  General  Pleasanton,  in 
which  the  efficient  services  of  the  Sixth  Cavalry  are 
frequently  mentioned,  is  of  interest  to  cavalrymen 
generally  : 

"  Headquarters  Cavalry  Division, 
Camp  near  Warrenton,  Virginia,  November  17th,  1862. 
General: — I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  following  report 
of  the  operations  of  this  command  from  the  crossing  of  the 
Potomac,  at  Berlin,  to  the  arrival  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
in  the  vicinity  of  Warrenton,  Virginia,  and  the  relinquishment 
of  the  command  of  the  army  by  Major-General  McClellan: 

In  closing  this  report,  it  is  but  justice  to  the  troops  I  have 
had  the  honor  to  command  that  I  should  mention  the  results 
of  their  laborious  exertions  and  the  chivalrous  gallantry, 
constantly  exhibited  under  many  adverse  circumstances. 
From  the  time  the  army  left  Washington  to  the  end  of  the 
campaign  at  Warrenton,  the  cavalry  of  my  command  had 
taken  from  the  enemy  six  pieces  of  artillery,  four  stands  of 
colors,  and  1000  prisoners  of  war,  without  losing  a  single 
gun  or  color.  These  facts  show  that  the  officers  and  men  of 
our  cavalry  have  the  energy,  the  intelligence,  the  courage  and 
enterprise  to  make  them  superior  to  any  cavalry  they  have  to 
contend  with,  and  yet  no  one  is  more  painfully  conscious  than 
myself  that  the  opinion  is  entertained  that  our  cavalry  has 
been  deficient  in  its  duty  in  the  present  rebellion.  I  will, 
therefore,  mention  a  few  facts  to  show  that,  wherever  there 
exists  a  foundation  for  such  an  opinion,  the  fault  does  not 
rest   with   the   cavalry.     The    rebels    have   always   had  more 

5 


66  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

cavalry  in  the  field  than  we,  and  whenever  we  have  fought 
them,  their  numbers  were  two  to  three  to  one  of  ours.  Such 
a  difference  is  always  an  encouragement  to  brave  soldiers,  for 
they  never  stop  to  inquire  their  number;  but  such  a  difference 
tells  fearfully  upon  the  hard  service  the  horses  have  to  per- 
form. Good  horses  are  broken  down  by  it;  inferior  ones  are 
literally  thrown  away  in  such  service. 

The  rebel  cavalry  are  mounted  on  the  best  horses  in  the 
south,  while  our  cavalry  are  furnished  a  very  inferior  animal, 
bought  by  contract,  which  is  totally  unfit  for  efficient  service. 
The  best  horses  in  my  command  are  the  horses  my  men  have 
captured  from  the  rebel  cavalry  in  their  different  engagements 
with  them.  As  an  instance,  one  of  my  companies  has  twenty- 
two  rebel  horses  out  of  fifty-three,  and  these  horses  are  the 
best  in  the  company.  Out  of  eighteen  horses  furnished  this 
same  company  by  the  quartermaster's  department  at  Knox- 
ville,  only  two  are  left  in  the  company,  and  these  are  very 
inferior.  Does  not  this  show  that  the  officers  and  men  who 
thus  wrest  the  elements  of  success  from  the  hands  of  the 
enemy  are  superior  to  the  circumstances  surrounding  them, 
and  are  not  responsible  for  those  failures  which  are  used  as 
illustrations  against  them? 

A.  Pleasanton, 
Brigadier-General,  Commanding  Division. 

Brigadier-General  R.  B.  Marcy, 

Chief  of  Staff,  Army  of  the  Potomac." 

The  regiment  marched  by  way  of  Waterloo, 
Liverpool  and  Warrenton,  and  arrived  at  Sulphur 
Springs,  November  17th,  and  picketed  the  ford  of 
the  Rappahannock  river,  near  that  village.  Novem- 
ber 1 8th,  when  General  Pleasanton's  division  was 
withdrawing  from  Sulphur  Springs,  the  enemy 
opened  with  a  battery  on  the  rear  guard,  composed 
of  the  Sixth,  and  a  section  of  Pennington's  battery. 


WADE'S  SQUADRON    RETURNING   FROM    RECONNOISSANCE    CONFEDERATE 
LINE   OF   BATTLE,   FREDERICKSBURG. 


ON    TO    FREDERICKSBURG.  67 

The  section  replied  and  the  Confederates  crossed 
two  squadrons,  which  were  driven  off,  and  the 
march  of  the  rear  guard  resumed. 

The  regiment  arrived  at  Falmouth  on  the  20th; 
B  and  E  companies  were  immediately  detached  for 
escort  duty  with  General  Sumner.  Belle  Plain  was 
reached  on  the  24th,  when  the  regiment  was  as- 
signed to  the  duty  of  picketing  the  fords  on  the 
Rappahannock,  which  was  continued  until  Decem- 
ber 1 2th,  when,  at  daylight,  the  regiment  marched 
to  the  Philips  House,  near  Fredericksburg,  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  battle  about  to  begin  on  that  historic 
field. 

The  army  had  already  begun  crossing  below 
Fredericksburg  and  a  pontoon  bridge  was  under 
construction  immediately  opposite  the  city.  This 
bridge  was  completed  about  noon  of  the  12th,  and 
at  3  p.  m..  Lieutenant  J.  F.  Wade's  squadron,  com- 
posed of  D  and  K  companies,  was  ordered  to  cross 
and  make  a  reconnoissance   of  the   enemy's  works. 

The  squadron  marched  through  the  town  and 
thence  out  into  the  open  country  at  the  foot  of 
Marye's  Heights  and  the  adjoining  ridges.  The 
advance  guard,  well  to  the  front,  was  allowed  to 
approach  the  Confederate  position  from  which  the 
main  infantry  strength  of  the  magnificent  Army  of 
the  Potomac  was  soon  to  recoil  in  defeat. 

When  the  squadron  had  proceeded  as  near  as  the 


68  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

Confederates  deemed  it  wise  to  permit  it  to  approach 
the  artillery  opened.  The  advance  guard  turned  to 
the  right  and,  moving  rapidly  along  the  lines,  devel- 
oped the  infantry  fire.  It  was  evident  that  no  further 
reconnoissance  of  this  position  was  possible  with  this 
single  squadron,  which,  although  in  rapid  motion, 
suffered  within  a  few  minutes  a  loss  of  two  men  and 
eight  horses  wounded. 

The  squadron  retired  in  good  order,  under  fire, 
and  recrossed  the  bridge.  The  result  of  the  recon- 
noissance was  communicated  to  General  Burnside. 
The  infantry  skirmish  lines  were  soon  pushed  out 
beyond  the  town  while  the  army  was  being  massed 
on  the  Fredericksburg  side  of  the  river. 

The  battle  which  followed  was  an  infantry  and 
artillery  fight  of  great  magnitude,  and,  although  un- 
successful, the  Army  of  the  Potomac  could  not  well 
afford  to  efface  from  history  the  record  of  its  defeat, 
for  the  valorous  charges  on  Marye's  Heights  could 
have  been  repulsed  only  by  soldiers  of  the  highest 
type.  It  is  a  matter  of  honest  pride  for  the  opposing 
armies  that,  when  positions  were  reversed  at  Gettys- 
burg, Pickett's  gallant  column  went  down  to  defeat, 
but  left  behind  a  record  for  future  history,  beside 
which  the  story  of  "The  Charge  of  the  Six  Hundred" 
pales  almost  into  insignificance. 

During  the  fierce  engagement  the  regiment  was 
posted  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  above  and 


ON    TO    FREDERICKSBURG.  69 

to  the  rear  of  Falmouth,  in  support  of  the  batteries 
guarding  that  flank.  During  the  evening  of  the  13th 
of  December  it  was  withdrawn  and  went  into  camp 
about  two  miles  from  Falmouth,  where  it  remained 
throughout  the  winter  and  until  April   13th,   1863. 

During  these  four  months  the  cavalry  performed 
picket  duty  along  the  Rappahannock,  the  Sixth 
having  the  posts  at  United  States,  Richard's  and 
Banks'  fords  above,  and  at  Corbin's  Neck,  below 
Fredericksburg. 

On  November  27th,  1862,  General  Wade  Hamp- 
ton, with  selected  detachments  from  his  command, 
crossed  the  Rappahannock  at  Kelly's  Mill,  and 
entered  the  Federal  lines  and  captured  various 
pickets,  to  within  eight  miles  of  Falmouth,  returning 
safely  to  the  Confederate  lines  after  a  most  suc- 
cessful expedition.     He  says  in  his  report: 

"  A  part  of  my  plan  was  to  have  cut  off  the  force  at  Rich- 
ard's Ferry,  but  though  I  got  completely  in  their  rear,  I 
found  my  number  so  reduced  that  I  was  forced  reluctantly  to 
abandon  my  design.  The  Sixth  Regiment  Regulars  was  on 
post  there,  and  I  had  to  leave  them  for  another  time." 

The  distance  from  camp  was  so  great  that  these 
tours  of  picket  duty  were  regulated  so  that  each 
detail  remained  out  a  week  at  a  time.  The  duty 
was  not  only  very  trying  and  disagreeable  for  the 
men,  but  was  ruinous  to  the  horses.  In  fact,  the 
continuous   hard   service  had   brought   the   regiment 


yo  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

to  a  point  where  its  commanding  officer  recognized 
that  it  must  be  built  up  and  encouraged. 

The  regiment  had  been  serving  with  great  credit 
under  General  Pleasanton  as  shown  by  its  record 
of  numberless  advance  and  rear  guard  actions. 
Captain  Sanders  finally  concluded,  on  the  march 
from  Maryland,  that  the  regiment  was  not  being 
accorded  fair  treatment,  and  addressed  to  the 
Adjutant  General,  Army  of  the  Potomac,  the  fol- 
lowing letter : 

"  Headquarters  6th  Cavalry, 
Camp  at  Upperville,  Virginia,  November  4th,  1862. 
General: — I  have  the  honor  to  request  that,  in  justice  to 
my  regiment,  the  6th  U.  S.  Cavalry  be  relieved  from  duty 
with  General  Pleasanton's  brigade. 

General  Pleasanton  now  has  three  officers  from  my  regi- 
ment on  his  staff,  one  company  and  its  officers  as  provost 
marshal,  and  almost  every  detail  of  men  is  made  from  this 
regiment.  I  am  willing  to  go  on  any  duty  where  the  regiment 
will  be  justly  treated.  I  have  also  the  honor  to  request  that 
some  of  the  officers  and  men  on  duty  at  brigade  headquarters 
be  relieved. 

Very  respectfully. 

Your  obedient  servant, 

W.  P.  Sanders, 
Captain,  6th  U.  S.  Cavalry,  Commanding." 

No  reply  having  been  received,  the  regimental 
commander  requested  information  as  to  whether 
the  brigade  commander  had  forwarded  the  com- 
munication. In  this  letter,  dated  November  24th, 
1862,  Camp  near  Belle  Plain,  Virginia,  appears  the 
following : 


ON    TO    FREDERICKSBURG.  7 1 

"  Previous  to  making  a  similar  request  to  that  of  Captain 
Sanders,  I  would  state  that,  in  my  opinion  and  that  of  every 
officer  in  the  regiment,  more  than  a  fair  portion  of  duty  is 
assigned  it.  I  have  also  to  inform  you  that  in  direct  violation 
of  the  published  order  of  march,  this  regiment  was  placed  in 
rear  and  made  to  do  rear  guard  duty  for  two  consecutive 
days,  thereby  compelling  the  regiment  to  encamp  after  night 
in  a  country  destitute  of  forage,  and  for  forty-eight  hours  the 
horses  were  without  feed.  I  am  now  compelled  to  send  my 
companies  sixteen  miles  on  picket  and  relieve  them  myself. 
On  account  of  the  numerous  heavy  details  ordered  by  your 
office  from  the  6th  Cavalry,  it  is  impossible  for  me,  with  the 
limited  number  of  men  left,  to  do  the  full  duty  of  a  regiment. 
The  6th  Cavalry  has  served  faithfully  and  deserves  well  of  the 
country,  and  I  consider  it  no  part  of  my  duty  to  see  injustice 
done  it.  Enclosed  you  will  find  a  report  of  the  condition  of 
the  regiment,  consolidated  from  this  morning's  report  of  com- 
pany commanders.  I  desire  that  you  will  communicate  these 
grievances  to  the  General  without  delay,  in  order  that  justice 
may  be  done  this  command." 

Matters  did  not  mend  rapidly,  for  the  following 
letters  were  sent  during  January,  at  a  time  when 
the  strength  of  the  cavalry  should  have  been  hus- 
banded with  great  care  for  the  spring  campaign : 

''  Headquarters  6th  U.  S.  Cavalry, 
January  i6th,  1863. 

Sir: — I  have  the  honor  to  report  for  the  information  of 
Brigade  Headquarters,  that  the  three  squadrons  of  my  regi- 
ment now  on  picket  duty  have  a  strength  of  505  enlisted  men. 
The  three  companies  now  in  camp  awaiting  will  turn  out 
to-morrow  121  enlisted  men.  Present,  absolute  available 
strength  mounted  of  the  six  troops  and  the  three  in  camp, 
of  which  my  command  consists,  426. 

There  are  three  troops  on  detached  service  at  General 
Sumner's  and  General  Pleasanton's  headquarters.     Of  inef- 


72  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

fectives  I  shall  leave  in  camp,  mostly  dismounted,  292.  From 
the  above  it  will  be  perceived  that  I  can  march  with  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy-one  men  as  the  strength  of  my  three  dis- 
posable companies.  I  succeeded  in  getting  thirty-six  carbines 
and  sabres  from  Pennington's  battery  to-day.  To-morrow  I 
shall  be  obliged  to  send  out  two  days'  forage  and  three  days' 
rations  to  my  six  companies  on  picket;  this  is  essential  to 
provide  for  their  subsistence  and  forage.  It  requires  six 
wagons  to  enable  them  to  return  during  the  day  (they  must 
be  lightly  loaded),  which  will  cripple  my  transportation 
seriously,  should  I  have  to  use  it  for  general  purposes  to- 
morrow. 

Very  respectfully,^    Your  obedient  servant, 

(Signed)         G.  C.  Cram, 
Captain,  6th  U.  S.  Cavalry,  Commanding. 
To  Lieutenant  Mahnken, 

Acting  Assistant  Adjutant-General, 
2d  Cavalry  Brigade." 

"  Headquarters  6th  U.  S.  Cavalry, 
January  21st,  1863. 
Sir: — I  have  the  honor  to  request  to  be  informed  whether 
I  am  at  liberty  to  run  out  forage  to  the  six  companies  of 
my  regiment,  now  on  picket;  their  forage  is  out  this  morn- 
ing; also  whether  I  can  start  my  train  to  depot  for  forage. 
I  have  a  scant  two  days'  in  camp  ahead  for  the  whole  com- 
mand, and  forage  must  be  sent  this  morning  to  the  detail  on 
picket. 

My  entire  command  is  rationed  for  three  days,  from  this 
morning,  in  their  haversacks.  Am  I  to  construe  the  circular 
received  this  morning  as  a  standing  order  to  run  out  the 
necessary  transportation  daily,  to  my  detail  on  picket,  with 
one  day's  rations,  without  further  orders,  as  it  is  only  by 
that,  that  I  can  keep  them  three  days  ahead? 
Very  respectfully,    Your  obedient  servant, 

G.  C.  Cram, 
Captain,  6th  U.  S.  Cavalry. 

To  Lieutenant  H.  Mahnken, 

Acting  Assistant  Adjutant-General, 
2d  Cavalry  Brigade." 


ON    TO    FREDERICKSBURG.  73 

"  Headquarters  6th  U.  S.  Cavalry, 
Camp  near  Falmouth,  Virginia,  January  29th,  1863. 
Sir: — I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  approved 
requisitions  for  six  wagons  and  requisitions  for  tools  ren- 
dered absolutely  necessary  under  orders  from  Headquarters 
2d  Cavalry  Brigade,  Cavalry  Division,  January  28th,  1863, 
requiring  me  to  employ  the  troops  under  my  command  to 
construct  and  keep  in  repair  the  bridges  on  the  road  between 
General  Hooker's  headquarters  and  '  Stoneman's  switch.'  I 
have  the  honor  to  officially  state  my  belief  that,  unless  I  am 
furnished  with  the  means  called  for  in  such  requisitions,  it 
will  be  impossible  for  me  to  perform  the  duty  assigned  to  me 
under  the  above-noted  order,  as  my  regimental  resources  are 
already  insufficient  for  the  purpose  of  foraging  and  rationing 
my  command.  I  have  also  the  honor  to  very  respectfully 
request  to  be  informed  if  it  is  intended  to  retain  this  regiment 
on  the  roster  for  picket  while  discharging  this  duty  of  road 
and  bridge  construction  and  police,  and  if,  while  assigned  to 
such  fatigue  duty,  it  will  also  be  required  to  do  its  usual 
outpost  duty.  The  requisitions  are  based  upon  a  careful 
'■  survey  and  examination  made  to-day  of  the  roads  and  line  of 
country  assigned  me. 

I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully. 

Your  obedient  servant, 
(Signed)         G.  C.  Cram, 
Captain,  6th  U.  S.  Cavalry.  Commanding. 

To  Lieutenant  H.  Mahnken, 

Acting  Assistant  Adjutant-General, 
2d  Cavalry  Brigade." 

From  a  number  of  letters  written  about  this  time 
the  followring-  has  been  selected  to  illustrate  picket 
duty  on  the  Rappahannock  from  the  trooper's  point 
of  view  : 


74  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

"  Banks  of  the  Rappahannock,  Virginia, 
Sunday  morning. 

Dear  Mother: — Being  very  hard  off  for  paper  and  ink 
and  something  to  write  on,  I  take  one-half  of  the  sheet  of 
paper  you  sent  me  and  sit  down  to  answer  your  welcome 
letter  which  I  received  this  morning. 

At  present  I  am  on  picket  duty,  only  a  short  distance  across 
the  river  from  the  Rebel  pickets.  We  are  in  sight  of  each 
other.  I  am  writing  this  on  the  butt  of  my  carbine.  There 
is  another  man  on  post  with  me;  he  is  a  Scotchman.  He 
keeps  me  in  good  humor  all  the  time  telling  stories.  He  is 
talking  to  the  Secesh  all  the  time.  They  asked  him  to  what 
regiment  he  belonged.  He  told  them  it  was  the  ist  Dublin. 
We  don't  fire  at  one  another  unless  someone  attempts  to 
cross  the  river.  The  weather  is  very  pleasant  at  present, 
but  the  nights  are  cold,.  We  get  along  very  well.  We  have 
a  fire  to  warm  ourselves.  I  like  to  stand  picket  in  good 
weather;  but  it  is  very  nasty  work  in  bad  weather.  We  are 
going  to  have  a  good  dinner.  One  of  the  boys  has  killed  a 
hog,  so  we  will  have  pork  steaks  to-day.  We  get  plenty  of 
corn  cakes  from  the  farmers.  We  have  to  stop  out  here 
eight  days.     We  are  out  six  now. 

There  are  a  great  many  stories  afloat.  Sometimes  we  hear 
that  the  army  is  going  to  the  west,  and  at  other  times  we  hear 
that  we  are  going  to  the  Peninsula  again.  We  do  not  know 
where  we  are  going.  Time  will  tell.  I  wish  the  war  was  at 
an  end.  As  soon  as  the  war  is  over  I  shall  quit  the  service 
for  good  and  settle  down. 

Your  affectionate  son, 

James. 
Company  M,  6th  U.  S.  Cavalry." 

The  true  uses  of  cavalry  and  its  capabilities  when 
properly  handled  were  apparently  not  understood 
up    to    this    time    by   any  one    powerful    enough    to 


ON    TO    FREDERICKSBURG.  75 

rectify  abuses  and  stop  the  enormous  waste  of 
horses.  In  the  early  part  of  the  war  subordinate 
generals  were  constantly  seen  with  so-called  "  body 
guards  "  of  cavalry,  and  the  strength  of  fine  organ- 
izations was  frittered  away  with  unnecessary  details. 

The  extracts  oriven  from  the  resfimental  records 
show  how  useless  it  was  for  junior  commanders, 
who  understood  the  use  of  cavalry,  to  seek  justice 
for  their  organizations.  Think  of  such  a  born  cav- 
alryman as  Sanders  witnessing  his  regiment  keep- 
ing roads  in  repair  and  picketing  camps  for  infantry 
corps  !  Yet  this  is  what  went  on  from  month  to 
month,  to  the  great  distress  of  many  able  and 
clever  officers  who,  under  more  advantageous  con- 
ditions, would  have  wrested  victory  from  Stuart 
without  waiting  for  the  advent  of  General  Sheridan. 

The  cavalry  exhibited  magnificent  fighting  quali- 
ties on  various  fields,  but  it  remained  later  for 
Sheridan  with  his  determination  and  stroncr  will  to 
force  the  cavalry  corps  into  its  true  position,  rela- 
tive to  the  remainder  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

Every  effort  was  made  to  drill  and  equip  the 
regiment  while  in  the  camp  at  Falmouth ;  the 
drilling  was  necessarily  confined  to  those  not  on 
outpost  duty,  and  the  exposure  and  hard  work 
prevented  the  horses  from  improving  ver)^  fast. 
Nevertheless,  when  "  boots  and  saddles "  sounded 
on    April    13th,    1863,    owing    to    the    diligent    and 


76  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

intelligent  efforts  of  officers  and  men,  the  regiment 
turned  out  six  hundred  and  sixty-one  men  mounted 
and  equipped  for  the  expedition,  which  started  on 
that  date  and  known  as  "  Stoneman's  Raid." 

On  the  14th  the  regiment  reached  Kelly's  Ford, 
and  on  the  15th  Rappahannock  station,  where  it 
remained  in  a  heavy  rainstorm  until  10  p.  m.,  when 
it  returned  to  Deep  Run.  The  rain  had  raised  the 
stream  so  that  it  could  not  be  forded.  At  daylight 
a  raft  was  constructed  and,  the  property  having 
been  conveyed  across,  the  regiment  swam  the 
horses  and  pack-mules  over  and  proceeded  to 
Morrisville  to  guard  the  train. 

On  the  2  2d  the  reg-iment  marched  to  Bealeton 
station  ;  on  the  23d  to  Warrenton  Junction,  and  on 
the  29th  back  to  Kelly's  Ford,  which  was  crossed 
and  pickets  thrown  out  towards  Brandy  station. 
The  fighting  on  this  date  was  confined  to  driving 
in  the  enemy's  pickets  on  the  roads  to  Brandy 
station  and  to  Stevensburg,  the  latter  being  per- 
formed by  the  Sixth.  On  the  30th  the  regiment 
crossed  the  Rapidan  at  Raccoon  Ford. 

On  May  ist  the  march  was  continued  through 
Louisa  Court  House,  where  the  railroad  and  tele- 
graph lines  were  destroyed,  and  thence  to  the 
North  Anna  river.  The  next  day  the  South  Anna 
was  crossed  and  the  command  marched  to  Thomp- 
son's   Cross    Roads,    and    on    the    day   following   a 


ON    TO    FREDERICKSBURG.  ']'] 

squadron  was  detached  to  scout  towards  the  Vir- 
einia  Central  Railroad. 

On  May  4th  details  of  selected  men  were  sent, 
under  Lieutenants  Wade  and  Carpenter,  with  Gen- 
eral John  Buford's  command  on  his  raid  to  Gor- 
donsville,  where  the  column  arrived,  at  daybreak. 
As  the  place  was  occupied  in  force,  no  attack  was 
made  beyond  some'  firing  by  skirmishers.  This 
column  returned  and,  on  the  morning  of  the  6th, 
overtook  the  main  command,  which  had  marched 
all  nieht  in  the  mud  and  rain  near  the  North 
Anna  river.  Raccoon  Ford  was  reached  on  the 
7th ;  after  swimming  the  command  across,  the 
march  was  continued  to  Rappahannock  station. 
Although  the  march  was  resumed  on  the  iith,  this 
practically  ended  the  Stoneman  raid,  which  had 
been  conducted  under  conditions  involving  unusual 
hardship. 

Starting  from  Falmouth,  each  trooper  packed  thirty 
pounds  of  grain  on  his  horse,  besides  rations.  The 
average  load  carried  by  the  pack-mules,  of  which 
there  were  six  to  each  company,  two  for  the  hospi- 
tal and  two  for  the  band,  was  two  hundred  pounds. 
Owing  to  improper  packing  and  the  necessity  for 
keeping  the  packs  on  for  long  periods  in  very  bad 
weather,  the  mules  were  quickly  disabled  by  sore 
backs. 

From  May  2d  until  the  8th  the  command  was  out 


yS  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

of  supplies,  except  such  as  could  be  obtained  by 
foraging  in  a  despoiled  country,  and  while  on  a  rapid 
march.  While  on  a  foraging  expedition,  with  a  de- 
tachment of  ten  men,  Lieutenant  T.  C.  Tupper,  Sixth 
Cavalry,  captured  General  Stuart's  chief  quarter- 
master, in  sight  of  one  of  their  squadrons.  Ninety- 
three  horses  gave  out,  fifty-one  were  killed  and  seven 
lost  to  the  enemy  through  capture.  The  regiment 
captured  twenty-nine  horses  and  thirteen  mules,  not 
enough  to  make  an  appreciable  showing  as  compared 
with  the  loss.  Years  afterwards  this  raid  was  pro- 
nounced, by  those  who  participated  in  it,  as  being 
unrivaled  in  the  annals  of  war  for  discomfort  and 
hardship,  taking  into  consideration  the  time  con- 
sumed. 

There  is  a  view  of  this  raid  which  has  received 
much  consideration  at  the  hands  of  those  military 
students  who  deal  in  theories  as  to  "  what  might  have 
been."  It  will  be  remembered  that  the  battle  of 
Chancellorsville  was  fought  by  the  army  during  the 
absence  of  Stoneman  with  the  cavalry,  and  that 
Stuart's  presence  with  Lee's  army  had  a  marked 
effect  on  the  grand  flank  movement  which  brought 
the  xA.rmy  of  the  Potomac  to  the  verge  of  ruin.  What 
might  have  happened  if  Hooker  had  kept  his  cavalry 
in  hand  must  remain  locked  in  the  realms  of  specu- 
lation. 

The  success  which  attended  the  passage  of  the 
artillery  and   infantry  across   the   river  could  hardly 


ON    TO    FREDERICKSBURG.  79 

have  been  improved  upon  had  the  cavalry  been 
present.  What  would  have  resulted  from  the  cav- 
alry being  thrown  against  Jackson  in  his  march 
across  the  front,  and  to  Hooker's  right  flank,  can 
only  be  surmised.  This  might  have  changed  the 
whole  tide  of  battle.  One  thing,  however,  from  the 
cavalryman's  point  of  view  is  quite  certain,  that  is, 
no  good  results  attended  this  raid  commensurate 
with  the  efforts  and  labor  involved  ;  the  loss  of 
efficiency  was  keenly  felt  and  impossible  to  repair 
in  the  brief  time  which  elapsed  before  Lee  started 
on  his  march  to  Gettysburg. 

When  Stuart  was  massing  his  magnificent  cavalry 
corps  in  the  vicinity  of  Beverly  Ford  early  in  June, 
General  Hooker  reported  that  he  intended  to 
attack  and  break  up  the  raid  in  its  incipiency,  but 
added:  "As  many  of  my  cavalry  are  still  unser- 
viceable from  the  effects  of  Stoneman's  raid,  I  am 
too  weak  to  cope  with  the  numbers  of  the  enemy, 
if  as  large  as   represented." 

On  May  iith  the  march  was  resumed  to  Hart- 
wood  Church,  which  was  reached  on  the  13th.  and 
where  the  regiment  camped  until  the  i8th,  picketing 
Richard's  and  United  States   Fords. 

While  at  this  camp.  Captain  G.  C.  Cram,  the 
regimental  commander,  accompanied  by  Assistant 
Surgeon  W.  H.  Forwood  and  two  orderlies,  rode 
to  General  Buford's  headquarters,  about  a  mile 
and  a  half  distant.     Towards   evening    they  started 


8o  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

back  to  camp,  and  while  passing  along  a  country 
road,  were  suddenly  surrounded  and  compelled  to 
surrender  by  about  thirty  of  Mosby's  men,  under 
Lieutenant  Fairchild. 

The  guerrillas  had  ridden  close  to  the  camps, 
under  cover  of  the  dense  forest,  and,  secreting 
their  horses  in  the  underbrush,  had  posted  them- 
selves on  both  sides  of  the  road  and  captured 
several  troopers  passing  back  and  forth  between 
the  camps. 

The  officers  were  not  armed,  and  both  were 
entirely  unsuspicious  of  any  danger  until  confronted 
with  a  demand  for  surrender,  backed  up  by  cocked 
carbines.  It  was  a  daring  ambush,  laid  in  the  midst 
of  the  cavalry  corps,  on  a  piece  of  road  supposed 
to  be  covered  by  patrols  and  pickets,  yet  resist- 
ance would  have  been  foolhardy. 

The  captors  mounted  and  conducted  their  pris- 
oners through  the  forest  to  a  house,  which  appeared 
to  be  their  headquarters.  Here  Captain  Cram  and 
the  enlisted  men  were  released  on  parole,  after 
being  deprived  of  horses  and  equipments,  and 
started  to  camp. 

Assistant  Surgeon  Forwood  declined  to  sign  the 
parole  and  insisted  upon  his  right,  as  a  medical 
officer,  to  be  released.  This  was  refused,  and  he 
was  turned  over  to  a  guard  to  be  taken  to  some 
interior  point  as  a  prisoner  of  war.  The  guard 
started    after    midnight,    the    prisoner    being   placed 


ON    TO    FREDERICKSBURG.  8t 

on  foot  between  mounted  detachments  in  front  and 
rear.  While  passing  through  a  dense  growth  of 
young  pines,  the  gallant  surgeon  made  a  dash  for 
liberty  and  escaped  without  injury  from  the  carbine 
and  pistol  shots,  which  resounded  through  the 
forest. 

The  escaping  prisoner  floundered  along  over 
fallen  timber  and  through  swamps  until  nearly  day- 
light, when  he  succeeded  in  reaching  the  main 
road,  where  Captain  Cram  and  his  party  had 
already  arrived,  and  at  a  point  not  far  from  General 
Buford's  headquarters.  Surgeon  Forwood  rejoined 
the  regiment  and  continued  to  share  its  fortunes, 
by  flood  and  field,  with  the  same  daring  spirit 
which  dictated  his  dash  into  the  dark  forest  amidst 
the  flying  bullets  of  the  guerrillas. 

Considerable  controversy  arose  over  this  capture, 
and  the  result  was  a  general  order  forbidding  the 
acceptance  of  parole  under  such  circumstances. 
The  order  referred  to,  dated  July  3d,  1863,  con- 
tains the  following  language  : 

"  It  is  understood  that  captured  officers  and  men  have  been 
paroled  and  released  in  the  field  by  others  than  commanders 
of  opposing  armies.  *  *  * 

Any  officer  or  soldier  who  gives  such  parole  will  be  re- 
turned to  duty  without  exchange,  and,  moreover,  will  be 
punished  for  disobedience  of  orders.  It  is  the  duty  of  the 
captor  to  guard  his  prisoners,  and  if,  through  necessity  or 
choice,  he  fail  to  do  this,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  prisoner  to 
return  to  the  service  of  his  Government." 
6 


82  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

On  May  i8th  the  regiment  marched  to  Brooks' 
station.  Captain  Cram  having  been  exchanged, 
reported  and  resumed  command  June  2d. 

It  was  while  at  Brooks'  station  that  Colonel 
Dahlgren,  then  an  aide-de-camp,  contemplated  his 
celebrated  expedition  to  Richmond,  and  actually 
proposed  to  the  commanding  general  to  undertake 
it  with  the  Sixth  Cavalry  alone. 

"  Camp  near  Falmouth,  Virginia, 
May  23d,  1863. 
Major-General  Hooker, 

Commanding  Army  of  the  Potomac. 
General: — I  respectfully  submit  the  following  plan  for  a 
cavalry  expedition,  and  ask,  if  it  should  meet  with  your 
approval,  permission  to  prepare  and  attempt  it.  The  rebel 
cavalry  are  again  feeling  along  our  lines,  probably  to  find  a 
weak  point  to  enter  at,  as  is  their  custom.  If  they  should 
attempt  a  raid,  this  would  oflfer  a  fine  chance  for  a  small  body 
of  our  cavalry  to  penetrate  their  country,  and  I  would  re- 
spectfully ask,  in  such  case,  permission  to  have  the  Sixth  U.  S. 
Cavalry  and  take  the  following  course:  Cross  above  on  the 
Rappahannock  and  at  Raccoon  Ford,  on  the  Rapidan  River, 
or  at  points  which  appear  best  just  before  starting;  thence 
somewhere  near  Louisa  Court  House;  thence  somewhere  be- 
tween Columbia  and  Goochland;  thence  over  the  James  River 
to  the  arsenal  at  Bellona,  which  we  would  destroy;  thence 
either  burn  the  bridges  in  rear  of  Richmond  over  James 
River,  and  dash  through  the  city  and  on  to  the  White  House, 
or  any  safe  place  near  there,  or,  after  burning  the  bridges, 
move  to  Petersburg,  and  thence  to  our  forces  near  Suffolk. 
The  greatest  obstacle  would  be  passing  their  picket  line  on 
the  Rappahannock,  which,  if  accomplished  without  being 
discovered,  would  leave  the  roads  open  before  us ;  but  I  know 
several  men  in  the  provost-marshal's  service  who  feel  confi- 
dent of  guiding  such  an  expedition,  and  have  offered  to  do 


ON    TO    FREDERICKSBURG.  8 


^ 


SO.  I  think  it  would  be  impossible  to  accomplish  anything 
unless  the  rebel  cavalry  are  off  on  a  raid,  which  would  give 
us  four  or  five  days  start  of  them  and  no  cavalry  to  oppose. 
The  object  of  the  expedition  would  be  to  destroy  everything 
along  the  route,  and  especially  on  the  south  side  of  the  James 
River,  and  attempt  to  enter  Richmond  and  Petersburg.  If 
the  general  proposition  should  meet  with  your  approval,  I 
will  submit  more  minute  details. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be.  General,  with  great  respect. 
Your  obedient  servant, 

Ulric  Dahlgren, 
Captain  and  Aide-de-Camp." 

The  proposition  was  not  accepted,  but  some 
months  later  Colonel  Dahlgren  was  authorized  to 
proceed  on  his  errand  with  selected  men,  and 
General  Kilpatrick  was  dispatched  to  the  opposite 
side  of  Richmond  to  aid  him  as  far  as  possible. 

The  Sixth  was  not  detailed,  but  Colonel  Dahlgren 
was  allowed  to  select  a  small  detachment,  under 
Sergeant  James  R.  Wood,  for  duty  as  scouts.  The 
regiment  had  been  on  all  the  cavalry  raids  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  the  men,  generally,  were 
familiar  with  the  country.  The  scouts  led  a  detach- 
ment across  the  Rapidan,  and  in  a  very  clever 
manner  captured  the  pickets  and  reserve  at  Ely's 
Ford  without  creating  any  unusual  alarm.  The 
detachment  rendered  excellent  service  until  the 
outer  works  of  Richmond  were  reached  and  Kil- 
patrick's  guns  could  be  heard  far  away  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  city. 

After   a    conference,  Colonel    Dahlgren  sent   Ser- 


84  FROM    YORKTOWN   TO    SANTIAGO. 

g-eant  Wood  and  another  scout  to  open  communi- 
cation with  General  Kilpatrick.  Sergeant  Wood 
was  captured  and  his  companion  killed  by  a  party 
of  Confederate  cavalrymen  on  the  Brook  turnpike. 
The  sergeant  was  sent  to  Libby  Prison,  where  he 
was  soon  joined  by  others,  captured  when  Colonel 
Dahlgren  was  killed.  Wood  cleverly  effected  his 
escape,  succeeded  in  passing  through  the  Confed- 
erate lines,  and  rejoined  the  army.  Some  of  the 
others  were  held  as  prisoners  until  the  close  of  the 
war. 

The  continued  accessions  to  Stuart's  cavalry  camp 
created  much  uneasiness,  and  General  Hooker  de- 
cided to  add  some  infantry  to  his  available  cavalry 
and  make  an  attack.  The  Sixth  moved  with  the 
cavalry  corps  to  near  Beverly  Ford  on  the  8th,  and 
on  June  9th  crossed  the  Rappahannock  and  took  a 
gallant  part  in  the  great  cavalry  battle  of  that  day. 

The  regiment,  five  squadrons  strong,  crossed  the 
Rappahannock  shortly  after  daylight  in  brigade  col- 
umn and  formed  as  a  support  to  Elder's  Horse 
Artillery,  in  which  capacity  it  acted  for  about  one 
hour  after  crossing.  The  first  squadron  was,  by 
order  of  the  brigade  commander,  detached  to 
observe  the  enemy  on  the  left  flank,  remaining  on 
that  duty  till  the  close  of  the  day,  when  withdrawn 
by  General  Buford,  after  most  of  the  brigade  had 
recrossed  the  river. 

The    remaining    four    squadrons    were    moved    to 


ON    TO    FREDERICKSBURG.  85 

close-supporting  distance  and  on  the  left  of  the 
Sixth  Pennsylvania  Cavalry,  and  advanced  through 
the  woods  in  front  under  a  heavy  fire  of  shell  till 
the  open  ground  was  reached,  when  it  promptly 
charged  the  enemy  who  had  just  successfully  re- 
sisted the  Sixth  Pennsylvania  Cavalry.  Owing  to 
the  overpowering  numbers  opposed  to  it,  and  being 
exposed  to  a  heavy  artillery  fire  at  close  range  on 
its  left,  the  regiment  was  compelled  to  retire 
through  the  woods,  instantly  reforming  on  its  edge 
to  re-advance.  The  timber  on  the  left  was  so 
dense  that,  but  for  the  coolness  of  the  officers  and 
men,  the  formation  of  squadrons  would  have  been 
an  impossibility.  It  was  in  this  advance  that  2d 
Lieutenant  Madden  was  seriously  wounded  by  a 
shell.  The  regiment,  besides  losing  severely  in 
horses  and  men  disabled,  met  with  a  serious  loss 
in  having  the  regimental  adjutant,  Lieutenant  Kerin, 
taken  prisoner  at  the  side  of  the  commanding 
officer,  while  gallantly  assisting  him  to  reform  the 
command  after  the  charge. 

The  regiment  was  then  again  used  as  support 
for  Elder's  Horse  Artillery,  remaining  several  hours, 
a  portion  of  the  time  under  a  heavy  fire,  until 
ordered  to  the  extreme  rijjht  with  the  Second 
U.  S.  Cavalry.  At  that  time — in  the  afternoon — 
the  fifth  squadron  reported,  under  Captain  Brisbin, 
who,  with  his  command,  had  been  detached  since 
the  day  before.    During  the  morning  he  had,  with  six 


86  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

companies  dismounted,  including  four  of  volunteer 
cavalry,  engaged  in  obstinately  disputing  with  the 
enemy  the  possession  of  a  fence  and  stone  wall  on 
the  right  and  near  the  river. 

After  again  supporting  the  artillery^  in  its  new 
position  on  the  right,  and  sending  a  squadron  to 
dislodge  the  enemy  from  a  point  of  woods  on  the 
extreme  right  flank,  the  regiment  moved  into  the 
timber,  deploying  two  squadrons  as  skirmishers  to 
the  front,  connecting  with  the  Second  Cavalry  line, 
and  drove  the  enemy  from  its  edge  to  an  eminence 
in  a  plowed  field  beyond.  The  enemy  attempted 
to  flank  the  line  of  skirmishers,  which  was  sup- 
ported with  the  two  remaining  squadrons.  Ward's 
and  Balder's,  which  twice  charged  the  enemy,  and 
each  time  drove  them  with  severe  loss  from  their 
position  to  a  hill  beyond,  and  finally  held  them  in 
check  against  heavy  odds  till  withdrawn  by  the 
brigade  commander.  In  this  last  charge  fell  the 
gallant  Ward,  at  the  head  of  his  squadron,  within 
grasping  distance  of  the  enemy's  battle-flag,  for 
which  he  had  been  struggling. 

On  being  withdrawn  from  this  hotly  contested 
position,  the  regiment,  for  a  short  time,  acted  as  a 
reserve  for  the  Second  U.  S.  Cavalry  and  the  Sixth 
Pennsylvania,  then  engaged  with  the  enemy  in  the 
woods,  and  later  relieved  those  two  regiments  with 
four  squadrons — Captain  Brisbin  having  been  again 
detached — which  were  deployed  as   skirmishers  and 


ON    TO    FREDERICKSBURG.  8/ 

drove  the  enemy  back  into  the  timber.  Lieutenant 
Stoll,  another  squadron  commander,  fell  mortally 
wounded  at  this  time  while  gallantly  animating  his 
command.  The  enemy  continued  firing,  and  shot 
the  bearers  who  were  fruitlessly  attempting  to 
remove  him. 

In  compliance  with  orders  from  the  brigade  com- 
mander, at  the  close  of  the  engagement,  the  squad- 
rons were  withdrawn  from  the  woods,  retiring  slowly 
as  skirmishers,  keeping  the  enemy  in  check  and  acting 
as  the  rear  guard  of  the  brigade  which  was  rejoined 
at  sunset,  after  crossing  the  Rappahannock. 

The  regiment  had  been  engaged  all  day  and  had 
lost  four  officers  out  of  twelve  that  went  into  action, 
viz. :  Lieutenant  Ward,  killed ;  Lieutenant  Stoll, 
missing  and  supposed  to  be  dead  ;  Lieutenant 
Madden,  severely  wounded  ;  and  Lieutenant  Kerin, 
taken  prisoner.  Out  of  two  hundred  and  fifty-four 
enlisted  men  actually  engaged,  seven  were  killed 
outright,  twenty-five  severely  wounded,  and  thirty- 
one  disabled  and  missing,  making  an  aggregate 
loss  of  sixty-seven  officers  and  men. 

The  report  of  the  regimental  commander.  Captain 
Cram,  commends  in  the  highest  terms  the  officers 
and  men  who  participated  in  this  hotly  contested 
battle,  which  raged  for  about  thirteen  hours  in  the 
forests  and  clearings,  bordering  on  the  Rappa- 
hannock. Lieutenants  Ward  and  Stoll  fell  in  the 
front  of  battle    after  giving   a  splendid  example    of 


88  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

dash  and  courage  to  their  comrades.  At  the  criti- 
cal moment  of  Lieutenant  Ward's  death,  Lieutenant 
Balder  rendered  invaluable  service  by  rallying  the 
men  and  with  desperate  courage  resisting  success- 
fully the  onslaught  of  the  enemy,  Lieutenant 
Tupper  was  commended  not  only  for  his  conduct  in 
the  battle,  but  for  "  the  skillful  and  deliberate  man- 
ner in  which,  at  the  close  of  the  engagement,  he 
withdrew  his  skirmishers,  his  squadron  being  the 
extreme  rear  guard  of  the  brigade,  checking  the 
enemy  at  every  step  as  he  retired  and  suffering 
more  than  any  other  squadron."  Lieutenant  Wade 
was  warmly  praised  not  only  for  his  impetuous 
gallantry  in  the  first  charge  in  the  morning,  when 
his  horse  was  shot  under  him,  but  for  his  conduct 
throughout  the  day. 

At  the  critical  moment  when  the  adjutant  was 
captured.  Lieutenant  Coats  replaced  him  and  dis- 
charged the  hazardous  duties  with  energy  and 
courage  under  a  galling  fire.  Lieutenants  Carpen- 
ter and  McQuiston  rendered  good  service,  and,  in 
fact,  the  conduct  of  all  on  this  occasion  was  most 
creditable  to  the  regiment.  The  men  showed  not 
only  an  unflinching  readiness  to  follow  their  officers 
in  every  charge,  but  when,  through  losses  of  battle, 
three  companies  were  left  without  officers,  the 
sergeants  gallantly  led  them  in  the  fray,  which, 
throughout,  was  a  giant  test  of  strength  between 
the  cavalry  corps  of  the  two  armies. 


ON    TO    FREDERICKSBURG.  89 

Until  this  battle  took  place,  Stuart's  cavalry 
divisions  had  held  those  of  the  Army  of  the  Po- 
tomac in  great  contempt  so  far  as  mounted  fighting 
was  concerned.  The  Federal  cavalry  had  boldly 
crossed  the  river,  captured  Stuart's  headquarters, 
developed  Lee's  intended  march  to  the  north,  and 
had  fearlessly  engaged  the  enemy,  fighting  mounted 
or  dismounted  as  the  immediate  occasion  demanded. 
The  corps  was  withdrawn  only  upon  the  approach 
of  Lee's  heavy  columns  of  infantry  and  after  the 
object  of  the  crossing  had  been  effected. 

For  many  months  Lieutenant  Ward  was  sup- 
posed to  be  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 
He  was  seen  by  a  sergeant  to  fall,  shot  through  the 
breast,  but  still  alive.  The  day  after  the  battle  the 
enemy  gave  notice  that  an  officer  of  the  Sixth 
Cavalry  had  been  killed  in  the  charge.  He  was 
carried  on  the  rolls  as  a  prisoner,  notwithstanding 
the  officers  of  the  regiment,  held  in  Libby  Prison, 
had  sent  word  that  he  had  never  been  with  them. 
During  Januar^%  1864,  when  the  cavalry  was  again 
encamped  at  the  scene  of  the  battle  on  June  9th, 
1863,  a  citizen  living  near  by,  recognized  the  insignia 
of  the  regiment  and  reported  that  an  officer  had 
been  buried  in  the  vicinity.  General  Pleasanton's 
headquarters  were  then  camped  on  the  hill  over 
which  the  regiment  had  charged.  There  was  no 
difficulty  in  finding  the  spot  where  Lieutenant  Ward 
was    seen    to    fall,  and,  with    the    assistance    of    the 


90 


FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 


farmer,  the  grave  was  readily  located  and  the  body 
disinterred. 

In  this  connection  it  may  be  remarked  that  the 
adjutant.  Lieutenant  Kerin,  was  confined  in  Libby 
Prison  and  was  one  of  those  who  got  out  by  means 
of  the  celebrated  tunnel,  through  which  so  many 
officers  escaped  from  captivity.  It  is  said  that  just 
after  Lieutenant  Kerin  had  grotten  down  the  shaft 
and  before  he  could  move  into  the  tunnel,  the  next 
one  to  follow,  fell,  landing  on  Kerin  with  such  force 
as  to  cause  him  to  groan  in  despair,  and  for  a 
moment  all  seemed  lost.  He  recovered  himself, 
however,  and  made  his  exit  without  alarming  the 
guard. 


THE    GETTYSBURG    CAMPAIGN. 


91 


CHAPTER    V. 
The  Gettysburg  Campaign. 

Invasion  of  Pennsylvania — Benton's  Mills — MiDDLEnuRG — 
Upperville — Fairfield — Williamsport —  Funkstown — Boons- 
BORO — Heavy  Losses  of  Campaign — Brandy  Station — Cat- 
lett's  Station — Winter  Quarters — Condition  of  Horses — 
Sentence  of  Death — Dry  Tortugas. 


AJOR  STARR,  who  had  been  pro- 
moted from  the  Second  Cavalry, 
vice  Wright,  resigned,  reported 
on  June  loth  and  assumed  com- 
mand, no  field  officer  having 
been  present  for  duty  since 
Major  Williams  left  the  regiment  a  3^ear  prior  to  this 
time.  The  regiment  moved  to  Catlett's  station,  and 
next  day  to  Thoroughfare  Gap,  where  Lieutenant 
Wade's  squadron,  composed  of  D  and  K  companies, 
was  detached  as  provost  guard  at  headquarters  of 
the  cavalr}^  corps.  The  remainder  of  the  regiment 
went  on  picket  until  the  15th  when  it  marched  to 
Manassas  Junction,  and  on  the  following  day  to 
Bull  Run  bridge. 

When  Hooker  effected  the  passage  of  his  army 
across  the  Rappahannock  the  previous  month,  Lee 
had  good  cause  to  worry  for  the  safety  of  his  army 


92  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

and  capital.  With  Jackson's  wonderful  flank  attack, 
where  success  was  achieved,  but  at  a  cost  to  the 
Confederacy  of  his  valuable  life,  Lee  was  not  only 
relieved  of  anxiety,  but  at  once  made  his  plans  to 
carry  the  war  to  the  north. 

General  Hooker  proposed  to  the  President  that 
Lee  be  met  by  such  other  troops  as  could  be  mar- 
shalled to  confront  him,  while  he  moved  on  Richmond 
with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  President  Lincoln, 
who  developed  into  one  of  the  greatest  strategists  of 
the  Civil  War,  promptly  announced:  "I  think  Lee's 
army,  and  not  Richmond,  is  your  sure  objective  point. 
If  he  comes  toward  the  upper  Potomac,  follow  on  his 
flank  and  on  his  inside  track,  shortening  your  lines 
while  he  lengthens  his.  Fight  him,  too,  when  oppor- 
tunity offers.  If  he  stays  where  he  is,  fret  him  and 
fret   him." 

The  race  for  the  north  began,  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  moving  between  Lee's  army  and  Wash- 
ington. The  cavalry  corps  was  kept  constantly  in 
contact  with  the  enemy,  and  the  Sixth  participated  in 
many  fights  during  the  campaign,  the  first  of  which 
occurring  at  Benton's  Mills,  June  1 7th,  while  on  the 
march  from  Aldie,  on  the  road  leading  to  Middleburg., 
The  regiment  encamped  near  the  scene  of  the  fight 
until  the  21st,  when  it  joined  General  Gregg's  com- 
mand and  had  a  running  fight  in  which  nearly  all 
the  cavalry  of  both  armies  engaged  throughout  the 


THE    GETTYSBURG    CAMPAIGN.  93 

day  between  Middleburg  and  Upperville.  Captain 
Cram's  report  of  this  affair  is  very  interesting  and 
given  with  more  detail  than  is  usual  in  such  cases : 

"  Camp  near  Aldie,  Virginia,  June  23d,  1863. 

Sir: — I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  the  following  report  of 
the  part  taken  by  the  Sixth  U.  S.  Cavalry  in  the  operations  of 
June  2 1  St:  The  regiment  marched  before  breakfast  from  its 
position  on  picket  near  Aldie,  in  the  brigade  column,  and, 
crossing  Goose  Creek,  was  employed  at  different  portions  of 
the  day  with  the  rest  of  the  brigade  as  a  supporting  reserve 
until  reaching  the  slopes  on  the  hither  side  of  Upperville, 
when,  forming  squadron  and  advancing  for  some  time  at  a 
trot,  it  was  suddenly  called  on  to  defeat  an  effort  of  the  enemy 
on  our  left  flank,  the  volunteer  cavalry  at  this  time  being 
engaged  with  the  enemy  in  front  of  us.  Instantly  breaking 
from  its  formation  in  column  of  squadrons,  and  passing 
through  a  narrow  gap  in  a  stone  wall,  and  reforming  on  the 
other  side,  as  well  as  the  time  allowed  it,  and  the  circum- 
stances and  ground  would  permit,  moved  immediately  for- 
ward, and  on  the  command  being  given,  charged  up  to  the 
enemy,  under  an  harassing  artillery  lire  and  over  a  long 
stretch  of  heavy  and  marsliy  ground,  intersected  by  a  most 
difficult  ditch  and  terminating  in  a  hill  of  plowed  ground, 
beyond  which,  on  the  firm  ground  in  the  edge  of  the  woods, 
the  enemy  in  large  force  awaited  it.  The  charge  was  unsuc- 
cessful, the  most  of  the  horses  being  so  blown  that  it  was 
impossible  to  bring  or  keep  them  for  such  a  distance  at  a 
charging  pace. 

On  the  regiment  rallying  and  reforming  on  the  nucleus  of 
the  second  squadron,  commanded  by  Captain  Claflin,  on  more 
favorable  ground,  the  enemy  being  within  easy  reach  and 
everything  favorable  for  a  successful  charge,  for  which  it  was 
then  preparing,  the  regiment  was  then  ordered  to  dismount 
and  fight  on  foot,  and  was  used  dismounted,  under  the  cover 
of  stone  walls,  to  protect  our  left  fiank,  the  enemy  retiring  at 
the  same  time  into  the  woods  on  our  front. 


94  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

On  being  relieved  from  this  position,  and  the  engagement 
having  terminated,  it  moved  in  column  of  squadrons,  with  the 
rest  of  the  brigade,  through  the  woods  and  toward  the  en- 
trance of  Ashby's  Gap,  till  it  succeeded  in  attracting  the  fire 
of  the  enemy's  artillery,  when  it  was  withdrawn,  and  went 
into  bivouac  on  the  hither  side  of  the  town  of  Upperville.  The 
regiment  marched  out  twelve  commissioned  officers  and  two 
hundred  and  forty-two  enlisted  men  strong. 

Its  casualties  were  Second  Lieutenant  Henry  McQuiston, 
severely  wounded;  Privates  John  Might,  of  troop  E,  slightly 
wounded;  C.  F.  H.  Roemer,  troop  A,  mortally;  Jacob  Couts, 
troop  G,  slightly;  (Michael)  Slatte^-y,  troop  F,  slightly; 
(Michael)  Kurnan,  troop  A,  slightly.  Privates  (Joshua  W.) 
Dubois,  troop  E;  Thomas  McKeffrey,  troop  F,  and  Nelson 
H.  Turner,  troop  B,  missing. 

In  closing  this  report,  out  of  justice  to  my  regiment,  I 
would  respectfully  call  attention  of  my  superiors  to  the  dispir- 
iting circumstances  attending  the  unsuccessful  charge,  before 
described.  The  men  were  exhausted  and  worn  out  by  the 
recent  imposition  of  incessant  picket  duty  in  their  position 
near  Middleburg.  They  were  taken  from  behind  stone  walls, 
which  they  had  been  guarding  all  night  and  the  day  before, 
mounted  on  horses  as  famished  as  themselves,  and  imme- 
diately marched  with  the  column,  and  at  the  end  of  a  fatiguing 
day  were  required  to  charge  over  ground  almost  impractic- 
able in  its  nature  and  750  paces  in  extent,  as  proved  by  the 
measurement  of  experienced  officers  on  the  morning  of  the 

22d. 

I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully. 

Your  obedient  servant, 

G.  C.  Cram, 
Captain,  6th  U.  S.  Cavalry,  Commanding  Regiment. 

Lieutenant  James  F.  McQueston, 
Acting  Assistant  Adjutant-General, 
Regular  Cavalry  Reserve  Brigade." 

The  regiment  returned  to  Aldie  on  the  2  2d,  and 
on  the  26th  marched  to  Leesburg,  and  thence  across 


THE    GETTYSBURG    CAMPAIGN.  95 

the  Potomac  at  Edwards'  Ferry  and  the  Monocacy, 
close  to  its  mouth,  and  went  into  camp,  on  the 
27th,  near  Point  of  Rocks,  Maryland.  On  the  29th 
Middletown  was  reached,  and  here  General  Merritt 
assumed  command  of  the  brigade,  relieving  Major 
Starr,  who  resumed  command  of  the  regiment.  The 
march  was  continued  to  Frederick  and  Mechanics- 
town,  where  the  regiment  remained  until  July  2d, 
when  it  was  marched  to  Emmitsburg. 

In  the  meantime  Buford,  with  his  cavalry  division, 
had  halted  the  head  of  Lee's  invading  column,  near 
Gettysburg,  and  gallant  Reynolds  and  other  eminent 
commanders  had  hastened  to  the  sound  of  the  guns, 
bring-inof  on  that  historic  conflict  which  had  been 
raging  July  ist  and  2d,  while  Merritt's  brigade  lay  off 
on  the  flank. 

But  the  red-letter  day  in  the  history  of  the  regi- 
ment had  now  arrived ;  after  leaving  the  bivouac  it 
was  detached  from  the  main  column  and  went  down 
to  defeat  against  overwhelming  odds,  but  without 
dishonor. 

General  Merritt  ordered  the  regiment  to  Fairfield, 
Pennsylvania,  on  the  road  leading  to  Gettysburg  from 
the  northwest,  to  capture  a  wagon  train,  the  rest  of  the 
brigade  moving  toward  Gettysburg  by  way  of  Farming- 
ton.  Fairfield  was  reached  at  noon,  where  two  troops 
were  detached  to  proceed  along  the  base  of  the  moun- 
tain, the  regiment  keeping  the  road  to  Gettysburg. 
About    a   mile    from     Fairfield    the    enemy's    pickets 


96  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

were  encountered  and  driven  back  to  their  sup- 
ports, when  another  squadron  was  added  to  the  line, 
and  the  enemy — the  Seventh  Virginia — was  driven 
back  to  the  forks  of  the  road  from  which  their  main 
body  could  be  seen,  consisting  of  about  four  regiments 
of  cavalry.  Clue's  Virginia  battery  opened  on  the 
regiment  as  soon  as  the  wreck  of  the  Seventh  Virginia 
cleared  the  way.  The  regiment  was  close  enough  to 
hear  the  command,  "  Draw  sabres  !  "  of  the  enemy, 
as  they  were  formed  for  the  charge. 

The  two  advance  squadrons  were  in  between  post 
and  rail  fences,  and  could  not  form  line  or  join  those 
in  the  fields  before  they  were  charged  by  the  Sixth 
Virginia  Cavalry,  supported  by  the  Confederate 
brigades  under  Generals  Robertson  and  Jones. 
Caught  in  such  a  trap  the  men  remained  firm,  firing 
and  inflicting  severe  loss  on  the  advancing  column, 
until  literally  ridden  down.  Some  escaped  to  the 
fields  and  made  for  the  town,  but  the  Confederates 
reached  there  first.  Lieutenant  Balder,  who  was 
ordered  to  surrender,  called  on  the  few  men  near 
him  to  follow,  and  had  nearly  cut  his  way  out,  when 
he  fell  mortally  wounded.  The  squadron  which  was 
on  the  road  near  the  mountain  was  also  overpowered 
and  hurled  back. 

Of  this  part  of  the  action  Lieutenant  Nicholas 
Nolan  says  : 

"  When  about  two  miles  from  the  regiment,  I  saw  the 
enemy's  cavalry  charge  in  the  direction  of  Millerstown  (Fair- 


THE    GETTYSBURG    CAMPAIGN.  97 

field).  I  immediately  notified  the  squadron  commander  of 
the  fact.  He  then  moved  the  squadron  on  the  enemy's  right 
and  charged  them,  when  he  (Captain  Cram)  was  captured. 
I,  being  the  only  officer  then  left  with  the  squadron,  took 
command.  I  found  I  was  entirely  cut  oflF  from  the  regiment, 
and  had  the  enemy  on  both  flanks  and  rear  of  me.  After  the 
regiment  was  repulsed  from  Millerstown  (Fairfield),  I  imme- 
diately commenced  retreating,  disputing  every  inch  of  ground 
with  the  enemy.  Finding  the  enemy  in  force,  I  gradually  fell 
back  in  the  direction  of  Mechanicstown,  where  I  found  the 
regiment,  and  also  ascertained  that  the  commanding  officer 
was  wounded  and  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  I,  being  the 
senior  officer,  assumed  command  of  the  regiment,  which  I 
found  in  command  of  Lieutenant  L.  Henry  Carpenter.  I 
then  received  orders  to  join  the  brigade.  On  my  arrival  at 
the  brigade,  I  turned  over  the  command  of  the  regiment  to 
Captain  Claflin." 

The  regiment  lost  Lieutenant  Balder,  killed ;  Major 
Starr  and  Lieutenants  Tucker,  Wood  and  Chaffee, 
wounded ;  Captain  Cram,  Lieutenants  Bould  and 
Paulding,  and  Surgeons  Forwood  and  Notson,  cap- 
tured. The  loss  of  men  was  232  killed,  wounded 
and  captured,  out  of  a  total  less  than  400.  Lieu- 
tenant Bould  escaped  and  Captain  Cram  was  paroled. 

At  the  moment  when  the  charging  column  of  the 
enemy  encountered  the  head  of  the  regiment,  the 
standard-bearer  was  shot.  As  the  Confederates  were 
about  to  seize  the  standard  some  of  the  Sixth  Cav- 
alrymen charged  into  the  melee.  Sergeant  George  C. 
Piatt  rescued  the  standard  and,  sticking  close  to  the 
fence,  put  spurs  to  his  horse,  dashed  past  the  enemy 
and  escaped.  The  slashed  and  torn  emblem,  for 
which  men  had  fought  and  died,  remained  in  the 
7 


98  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

hands  of  the  gallant  little  remnant  who  had  followed 
it  on  many  hotly  contested  fields.  Sergeant  Piatt 
was  awarded  a  medal  of  honor  for  his  distinguished 
bravery. 

The  fight  made  at  Fairfield  by  this  small  regiment 
against  two  of  the  crack  brigades  of  Stuart's  cavalry, 
which  were  endeavoring  to  get  around  the  flank  of 
our  army  to  attack  the  trains,  was  one  of  the  most 
gallant  in  its  history  and  was  really  a  part  of  the 
battle  of  Gettysburg.  The  efforts  of  these  brigades 
were  frustrated  and  their  entire  strength  neutralized 
for  the  day,  by  the  fierce  onslaught  of  the  small 
squadrons.  The  regiment  was  cut  to  pieces,  but  it 
fought  so  well  that  the  squadrons  were  regarded  as 
the  advance  of  a  large  body  of  troops.  The  senior 
officer  of  these  brigades  was  adversely  criticised  for 
allowing  his  command  to  be  delayed  by  such  an 
inferior  force.  Had  the  regiment  not  made  the  des- 
perate stand,  the  two  brigades  of  Virginians  might 
have  accomplished  incalculable  injury  in  the  Federal 
rear,  before  sufficient  force  could  have  been  gathered 
in  their  front. 

The  small  portion  of  the  regiment  which  escaped 
retreated  to  Emmitsburg,  joined  the  brigade  the 
next  day  near  Gettysburg,  and  proceeded  to  Fred- 
erick City,  Maryland,  July  5th,  and  to  South  Moun- 
tain and  Williamsport,  July  6th,  participating  in  the 
engagement  at  the  latter  place  with  the  loss  of  one 
sergeant  killed. 


THE    GETTYSBURG    CAMPAIGN.  99 

While  making  a  reconnoissance  to  Funkstown, 
July  7th,  the  remnant  of  the  regiment  became  heavily 
engaged  with  superior  numbers,  and  lost  Captain 
Claflin  severely  wounded,  and  85  men  killed,  wounded 
and  missing. 

Lieutenant  Nolan  again  found  himself  in  com- 
mand and  says  of  this  action  : 

"  On  the  7th  instant,  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  make  a 
reconnoissance  in  the  direction  of  Funkstown,  under  com- 
mand of  Captain  Claflin.  On  arriving  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
town,  we  drove  in  the  enemy's  pickets;  immediately  afterward 
made  disposition  of  the  regiment  to  resist  the  enemy,  who 
was  in  force.  The  captain  commanding  proceeded  to  the 
front  to  reconnoitre,  and  when  about  150  yards  in  front  of  the 
regiment  (and  with  the  advance  guard)  was  wounded  in  the 
shoulder  by  one  of  the  enemy's  sharpshooters.  I,  being  the 
senior  officer  with  the  regiment,  again  assumed  command.  I 
immediately  proceeded  to  the  front,  where  my  advance  guard 
was  posted,  when  I  saw  the  enemy's  cavalry  preparing  to 
charge  my  command.  I  then  made  preparations  to  meet 
them,  but,  being  overpowered  by  superior  numbers,  was 
forced  to  fall  back,  inflicting,  however,  great  damage  to  the 
enemy  in  a  running  fight  of  four  and  one-half  miles,  my  com- 
mand losing  59  men  killed,  wounded  and  missing;  ten  of  the 
above  were  brought  in  dead  by  the  ist  U.  S.  Cavalry  the  same 
afternoon.  In  closing  my  report,  I  would  respectfully  call 
attention  of  the  General  commanding  to  the  following  named 
officers  of  the  regiment:  2d  Lieutenant  T.  C.  Tupper  and 
Lieutenant  L.  Henry  Carpenter,  for  their  gallantry  in  rallying 
the  regiment,  and  for  their  general  bravery  throughout  the 
whole  affair.  I  have  also  to  call  tlie  attention  of  the  General 
commanding  to  the  following  non-commissioned  officers  and 
privates  of  the  regiment:  Chief  Bugler  Jacob  K.  Schuck,  who 
fought  his  way  through  the  enemy's  lines  and  rendered  great 
assistance  during  the  engagements  of  the  3d  and  7th  instants; 


lOO  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

Sergeant  John  McCaffery,  troop  A,  who,  during  the  fight  at 
Funkstown,  shot  the  enemy's  standard-bearer,  made  a  gallant 
effort  to  capture  the  flag,  but,  being  overpowered,  was  unable 
to  accomplish  the  act;  Sergeant  Martin  Schwenk,  troop  B, 
who  cut  his  way  through  the  enemy's  lines  at  Millerstown, 
Pennsylvania,  when  sent  by  me  to  communicate  with  the 
regiment,  but  was  unable  to  accomplish  his  mission;  I  also 
saw  him  extricate  an  officer  from  the  hands  of  the  enemy; 
Sergeant  Michael  C.  Gorman,  troop  I,  who  extricated  an 
officer  from  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  and  during  the  whole  of 
the  engagement  acted  with  the  most  reckless  gallantry;  and 
Private  Patrick  Kelly,  of  troop  H ;  this  man,  at  Fairfield,  made 
a  desperate  effort  to  capture  one  of  the  enemy's  standards,  at 
which  place  he  was  near  losing  his  life  and  rendered  great 
service  throughout  both  engagements. 

The  above  non-commissioned  officers  and  one  private 
formed  the  rear  guard  of  the  regiment  during  the  fight  of  the 
7th  instant,  and  maintained  the  honor  of  the  regiment." 

The  regiment  remained  in  contact  with  the 
enemy  and  was  engaged,  July  8th  and  9th,  near 
Boonsboro,  and  again  engaged  near  Funkstown, 
July  loth.  General  Merritt,  in  his  report,  says  of 
this  phase  of  the  campaign  : 

"  On  the  7th  and  8th  the  brigade  again  met  the  enemy  near 
Boonsboro,  and  fought  him  with  advantage  several  hours  each 
day.  On  the  9th  he  was  again  engaged  and  driven  several 
miles,  when,  on  the  loth,  we  fought  him  near  Funkstown, 
and  with  the  best  success  all  the  way  through.  During  these 
combats,  which  were  mostly  on  foot  (the  enemy's  infantry 
being  engaged),  there  were  some  dashing,  telHng  charges 
made,  mounted.  I  mention,  particularly,  one  made  by  the 
Sixth  U.  S.  Cavalry,  followed  up  by  the  First  U.  S.  Cavalry, 
on  the  Boonsboro  and  Hagerstown  road.  In  both  of  these 
the  enemy  was  severely  punished,  and  captures  were  made  in 
hand-to-hand  conflicts." 


THP:    GETTYSBURG    CAMPAIGN-',    ;  'O), 

The  period  between  the  action  at  Beverly  Ford 
and  the  last  affair  at  Funkstown  was  one  of  inces- 
sant marching  and  fighting,  and  although  nearly 
decimated  by  the  casualties  of  action,  the  brave 
little  band  hung  on  to  Lee's  army  with  a  courageous 
tenacity,  which  remains  to-day  as  one  of  the  most 
cherished  historical  incidents  of  the  regfiment's 
existence. 

General  W.  E.  Jones,  Confederate,  in  his  report 
of  the  Gettysburg  campaign,  says  : 

"  An  order  from  General  Lee  required  a  force  of  cavalry  to 
be  sent  at  once  to  the  vicinity  of  Fairfield,  to  form  a  line  to 
the  right  and  rear  of  our  line  of  battle.  In  the  absence  of 
General  Robertson,  I  determined  to  move  my  command  at 
once  into  position,  which  met  with  the  approbation  of  the 
General,  who  returned  to  the  camp  before  I  was  in  motion. 

About  two  miles  from  Fairfield  we  encountered  the  Sixth 
LJ.  S.  Regular  Cavalry  en  route  to  capture  our  cavalry  division 
train,  which  must  have  fallen  an  easy  prey  but  for  our  timely 
arrival.  Many  wagons  in  quest  of  forage  were  already  within 
a  few  hundred  yards  of  the  enemy. 

We  met  in  a  lane,  both  sides  of  which  were  of  post  and  rail 
fences,  too  strong  to  be  broken  without  an  axe.  The  country 
is  open,  the  fields  small,  and  all  the  fences  of  the  same  char- 
acter as  along  the  lane.  No  estimate  could  be  made  of  the 
opposing  force;  but  knowing  that  a  vigorous  assault  must  put 
even  a  small  force  on  a  perfect  equality  with  a  large  one  until 
a  wider  field  could  be  prepared,  I  at  once  ordered  the  Seventh 
Regiment,  which  was  in  front,  to  charge.  Before  the  enemy 
could  be  reached,  he  succeeded  in  throwing  carbineers  through 
gates  right  and  left,  who  poured  into  our  flanks  a  galling 
fire.  The  leading  men  hesitated;  the  regiment  halted  and 
retreated,  losing  more  men  than  a  glorious  victory  would 
have  cost  had  the  onset  been  made  with  visror  and  boldness. 


10.-2  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

A  failure  to  rally  promptly  and  renew  the  fight  is  a  blemish 
in  the  bright  history  of  this  regiment.  Many  officers  and 
men  formed  noble  exceptions. 

In  their  efforts  to  renew  the  fight  fell  the  noble  brothers 
Captain  John  C.  and  Lieutenant  Jacob  G.  Shoup,  the  former 
desperately  wounded  and  the  latter  instantly  killed.  *  *  *  * 

Fortunately,  the  Seventh  had  a  chance  in  a  day  or  so,  and 
cleared  its  reputation. 

The  Sixth  Virginia  Cavalry  (Major  C.  E.  Flournoy  com- 
manding) was  next  ordered  to  charge,  and  did  its  work  nobly. 
Adjutant  John  Allan  and  others  fell  at  its  head,  but,  nothing 
daunted,  it  passed  the  skirmishers,  assailing  and  completely 
routing  one  of  the  best  United  States  regiments,  just  flushed 
with  victory. 

The  fruits  were  many  killed  and  wounded — among  the 
latter,  Major  Starr,  commanding — and  184  prisoners  taken. 

The  evening  of  the  7th,  the  Sixth  U.  S.  Regular  Cavalry, 
making  a  reconnoissance  near  Funkstown,  fell  in  with  the 
Seventh  Virginia  Cavalry,  which  availed  itself  of  the  oppor- 
tunity of  settling  old  scores.  Sabres  were  freely  used.  The 
day  at  Fairfield  is  nobly  and  fully  avenged.  The  Sixth  U.  S. 
Regular  Cavalry  numbers  among  the  things  that  were." 

The  regiment  had  now  lost  all  but  a  few  officers 
and  men  and  was  ordered,  July  nth,  to  report  for 
duty  at  the  headquarters  of  the  cavalry  corps. 
The  march  was  resumed  over  the  familiar  ground 
to  Berlin,  and  again  into  Virginia,  where  the  regi- 
ment was  destined  to  remain  until  the  colors  of 
Lee's  brave  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  were  lowered 
forever. 

Leaving  Berlin  on  the  17th,  the  route  led  back 
through  Lovettsville,  Waterford,  Union  and  War- 
renton    Junction    to    near    Germantown,    where    the 


THE    GEITYSBURG    CAMPAIGN.  IO3 

regiment  remained  in  camp  for  more  than  two 
weeks.  At  the  end  of  August  many  men  had 
rejoined  and  eight  officers  and  four  hundred  and 
sixty  men  were  again  ready  to  take  the  saddle 
against   their  old  foemen — General  Stuart's  cavalry. 

The  regiment  remained  in  camp  near  German- 
town  until  September  12th,  when  it  marched  to 
Rappahannock  station  ;  crossed  the  Rappahan- 
nock on  the  following  day,  joining  in  the  attack  on 
the  Confederate  cavalry  at  Brandy  station  and 
driving  the  enemy  beyond  Culpeper  ;  on  the  14th, 
followed  up  the  success  of  the  previous  day,  driving 
the  Confederates  across  the  Rapidan,  when  it  re- 
turned to  camp  at  Culpeper,  where  it  remained 
until  the   iith  of  October. 

The  advance  of  the  Confederates  upon  the 
position  occupied  by  the  army  at  Culpeper,  resulted 
in  the  withdrawal  of  the  latter  across  the  Rappa- 
hannock to  Manassas.  On  the  iith  the  regiment 
withdrew  toward  Brandy  station,  and  took  position 
on  the  right  of  the  road,  and  some  little  distance 
from  it,  fronting  toward  Culpeper.  The  skirmish 
line  in  front  was  held  by  the  Harris  Light  Cavalry, 
which  withdrew  and  passed  to  the  rear,  leaving  the 
regiment  exposed  to  attack  from  flank,  and  rear, 
its  position  being  at  the  extremity  of  a  field  sur- 
rounded on  the  sides  with  dense   undergrowth. 

The  commanding  officer.  Major  Morris,  finding 
himself  thus  isolated  was  in  the  act  of  withdrawing 


I04  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

from  the  position  when  a  column  of  Confederate 
cavalry  made  its  appearance  on  the  other  side  of 
the  field.  It  was  of  the  greatest  importance  to 
gain  the  road  and  go  round  the  point  of  under- 
growth before  the  Confederates  could  cross  the 
field  and  gain  that  point,  as  this  was  the  only  means 
of  escape.  A  rapid  gait  was  therefore  taken,  and 
as  the  point  of  undergrowth  was  turned  a  severe 
skirmish  fire  was  poured  into  the  head  of  the  col- 
umn from  the  Harris  Light  Cavalry,  which  was 
posted  behind  the  timber.  The  company  leading 
the  column  received  the  worst  effects  of  the  fire, 
Sergeant  Ellsworth  being  killed.  Lieutenant  Chaffee, 
commanding  the  leading  company.  Surgeon  Forwood 
and  one  private  wounded.  Privates  Joseph  and 
Shortel,  being  mounted  on  poor  horses,  were  at 
the  rear  of  the  column,  and  the  Confederates 
charging  about  the  time  of  the  fire  from  the  skir- 
mish line,  succeeded  in  capturing  them. 

That  night  the  regiment  withdrew  across  the 
Rappahannock,  and  on  the  following  day  marched 
to  Catlett's  station,  from  which  place  it  moved 
towards  Warrenton  and  became  engaged  in  a 
picket  skirmish,  resulting,  however,  in  no  loss, — 
thence,  on  the  14th,  to  Centerville  ;  23d  to  Gaines- 
ville ;  24th  to  Warrenton  ;  26th  to  Catlett's  station, 
and  30th  to  Warrenton. 

On  November  3d  the  regiment  took  up  its  old 
line  of  march   back  towards  Brandy   station,  where 


THE    GETTYSBURG    CAMPAIGN.  IO5 

It  arrived  on  the  8th  and  remained  until  the  26th, 
when  it  marched  across  Germania  Ford  to  Robert- 
son's Tavern,  on  the  road  between  Fredericksburg 
and  Orange  Court  House. 

December  ist  the  regiment  left  Robertson's  tav- 
ern, recrossed  Germania  Ford  and  went  into  camp, 
about  two  miles  south  of  Brandy  station,  where  the 
men  were  at  once  put  to  work  building  huts  and 
stables  for  the  winter.  At  the  end  of  December 
there  were  thirteen  officers  and  six  hundred  and 
fifteen   men  present. 

The  regiment  remained  in  this  cantonment  for 
five  months,  performing  its  share  of  the  duty  fall- 
ing upon  the  cavalry  corps.  One  squadron  was 
on  duty  as  provost  guard  at  corps  headquarters ; 
the  others  were  drilled  and  kept  in  as  good  condi- 
tion as  possible  under  the  circumstances  for  the 
spring  campaign.  Opportunity  was  offered  for 
officers  and  men  to  go  home  for  a  few  days  each, 
a  privilege  gladly  availed  of  after  such  a  long 
period  of  continuous  field  service.  The  equipment 
was  completed,  and  it  should  be  remarked  that  the 
regiment  was  now  armed  with  Sharp's  carbines, 
caliber  52,  Colt's  army  revolvers,  caliber  44,  and 
light  cavalry  sabres.  The  animals  suffered  greatly 
during  the  winter  from  a  shortage  of  hay,  and  the 
trouble  was  increased  by  extra  issues  of  grain, 
which  over-stimulated  the  horses  in  the  absence  of 
long  forage. 


I06  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

While  here  sentence  of  death  was  pronounced 
upon  a  trooper  for  desertion.  The  following  letters, 
taken  from  the  records,  will  show  the  disposition 
of  the  case  : 

"  Headquarters  6th  U.  S.  Cavalry, 
January  29th,  1864. 
Assistant  Adjutant-General, 

Headquarters,  Army  of  the  Potomac. 
General: — I  would  respectfully  call  attention  to  the  case 
of  Private  Jacob  Knowl,  of  Company  G,  6th  U.  S.  Cavalry, 
who  was  sentenced  to  be  shot  to  death  for  desertion,  in  G.  O. 
No.  103,  of  November  20th,  1863,  Headquarters,  Army  of 
Potomac.  This  sentence,  which  was  to  have  taken  effect 
upon  December  4th,  was  suspended  until  further  orders,  and 
the  prisoner  is  now  in  irons  in  the  guard-house  of  this  camp. 
I  earnestly  request  that  this  sentence  may  be  remitted,  or 
rather  commuted  to  such  imprisonment  as  may  be  deemed 
suitable. 

Very  respectfully. 

Your  obedient  servant, 

A.  W.  Evans, 
Captain,  6th  U.  S.  Cavalry,  Commanding." 

"  Headquarters  6th  U.  S.  Cavalry, 
March  15th,  1864. 
Provost  Marshal,  Cavalry  Corps. 

Sir: — I  have  the  honor  to  forward  prisoner  Jacob  Knowl, 
of  the  6th  U.  S.  Cavalry,  whose  sentence  is  mitigated  to 
imprisonment  during  the  war  at  the  Dry  Tortugas,  Florida, 
per  General  Order  No.  "j^,  War  Department,  A.  G.  O.,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  February  26th,  1864. 
Very  respectfully. 

Your  obedient  servant, 

R.  M.  Morris, 
Major,  6th  U.  S,.  Cavalry,  Commanding  Regiment." 


THE    GEITYSBURG    CAMPAIGN. 


107 


The  little  island  of  Dry  Tortugas,  off  the  coast 
of  Florida,  contained  Fort  Jefferson,  a  magnificent 
example  of  the  art  of  fortification,  mounting  over 
four  hundred  guns  and  costing,  in  the  aggregate, 
about  $15,000,000.  This  fort  was  selected  as  a 
prison,  and  both  civil  and  military  prisoners  were 
confined  there  during  the  Civil  War  and  for  a  short 
time  after.  The  name,  Dry  Tortugas,  is  synonymous 
with  all  that  is  dreary  and  lonesome.  The  huge 
fort  of  brick  and  masonry,  with  all  its  magnificent 
barracks  and  quarters,  has  for  many  years  been 
tenanted  by  an  ordnance  sergeant,  whose  sole 
occupation  is  to  exist  and  represent  the  sovereignty 
of  the  United  States.  The  frequent  outbreaks  of 
yellow  fever  have  long  since  condemned  the  site 
as  unsuitable,  even  as  a  prison  for  desperate  cases. 


I08  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

With  Sheridan  to  the  End. 

Sheridan  in  Command — Raid  to  Richmond — Todd's  Tavern — 
Yellow  Tavern — Meadow  Bridge — Regiment  detached  to 
Fort  Monroe  for  Supplies — Rejoins  Cavalry  Corps — Hawes' 
Shop — Cold  Harbor — Trevilian  Station — James  River — 
Ream's  Station — Deep  Bottom — Regiment  accompanies  Gen- 
eral Sheridan  to  the  Shenandoah  Valley — Joins  Corps 
Headquarters — Berryville — Winchester — Fisher's  Hill — 
Laying  waste  Shenandoah  Valley — Cedar  Creek — Arrival 
OF  Sheridan — Raid  in  Loudoun  Valley — Gordonsville  Raid 
— Army  Potomac  rejoined  near  Petersburg — Dinwiddie 
Court  House — Five  Forks — Sailor's  Creek — Clover  Hill — 
Surrender — Services  of  Cavalry  Corps — Ordered  to  join 
Sherman — Back  to  Bladensburg — Grand  Review — Losses — 
Actions  in  which  Regiment  participated. 

.ENERAL  SHERIDAN  assumed 
command  of  the  Cavalry  Corps 
of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
April  6th,  1864,  and  immedi- 
ately set  about  having  the  cav- 
alry relieved  from  much  of  the 
arduous  and  harassing  picket 
duty,  which  had  been  continually  forced  upon  that 
arm  by  General  Meade  and  previous  commanders. 
This  afforded  an  opportunity  to  give  a  brief  rest 
to  the  horses  and  fit  out  the  various  commands 
for  the  active  operations  about    to    commence,  and 


WITH    SHERIDAN    TO    THE    END.  IO9 

which  had  for  their  object  the  breaking  of  Lee's 
communications  and  the   defeat   of  Stuart's   cavalry. 

There  had  been  a  lamentable  loss  of  power  in 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  from  the  very  beginning 
of  the  war,  because  the  great  value  of  concerted 
cavalry  action  was  not  understood  or  appreciated. 
Notwithstanding  the  glorious  account  which  that 
arm  gave  of  itself  on  every  field,  it  was  immediately 
returned  to  picket  duty,  much  of  which  should  have 
been  performed  by  infantry  and  the  horses  saved 
from  the  consequent  semi-starvation  ;  picketing  the 
banks  of  streams  for  miles  simply  made  it  impos- 
sible to  supply  proper  forage  to  the  animals. 

The  regiment  left  winter  quarters  for  the  Wilder- 
ness, May  4th,  1864,  and  reconnoitered  Germania 
Ford,  Mine  Run  and  United  States  P'ord,  returning 
to  Chancellorsville  in  time  to  go  with  General  Sher- 
idan to  Todd's  Tavern,  where,  on  May  7th,  the 
cavalry  corps  was  heavily  engaged  with  both  cav- 
alry and  infantry.  After  a  hotly  contested  fight, 
Fitzhugh  Lee's  and  Hampton's  divisions  were  driven 
toward  Spottsylvania  Court  House. 

On  May  8th,  General  Sheridan  at  last  received 
the  coveted  orders  from  General  Meade  to  go  out 
and  engage  the  Confederate  cavalry^  instead  of 
guarding  trains  and  picketing  around  the  infantry 
camps.  The  command  had  only  one-half  day's 
forage  on  hand,    so    General    Sheridan    determined 


no  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    .SANTIAGO. 

to  pass  around  Lee's  flank  and  get  to  the  North 
Anna,  and  if  possible,  the  South  Anna,  where 
forage  could  be  obtained,  before  engaging  Stuart's 
cavalry  seriously. 

The  day  was  spent  in  preparations  for  the  raid 
towards  Richmond,  which  commenced  May  9th,  1864. 
The  regiment  marched  on  the  Fredericksburg  and 
Richmond  pike,  crossing  the  North  Anna  after  dark. 
The  clouds  of  dust  having  attracted  the  attention 
of  the  enemy,  they  arrived  during  the  night  and 
opened  on  the  corps  headquarters  at  daylight  with 
a  battery,  the  regiment  being  near-by  and  receiving 
a  few  shells  without  casualties.  The  march  was 
resumed,  the  Confederates  continuing  in  pursuit  and 
frequently  attacking  the  rear  guard.  Reaching 
Beaver  Dam  station,  a  train  containing  prisoners 
captured  at  the  Wilderness  was  seized  about  nine 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  loth,  and  destroyed, 
with  a  large  amount  of  muskets  and  small  arms. 

Stuart  realized  the  danger  and  hastened  his  troops 
at  a  killing  pace,  so  as  to  pass  around  and  put  his 
command  between  Sheridan  and  Richmond.  The 
march  was  resumed,  and  at  1 1  o'clock  a.  m.,  May 
nth,  the  enemy  was  encountered  at  Yellow  Tavern, 
six  miles  from  Richmond,  and  a  severe  engagement 
took  place,  resulting  in  the  defeat  of  the  Confed- 
erates and  the  death  of  their  gallant  and  famous 
leader,  J.  E.  B.  Stuart.     This  was  a  disastrous  battle 


WITH    SHERIDAN    TO    THE    END.  I  I  I 

to  the  Confederate  cavalry,  which  was  never  again 
the  same  important  factor  which  it  had  been  in  the 
past.  In  fact,  Stuart's  corps  ceased  to  exist,  and 
the  cavalry  divisions  were  assigned  to  duty  under 
General   Lee's  personal  direction. 

The  march  was  continued  during  the  night  of  the 
1 1  th,  after  the  battle  at  Yellow  Tavern,  and  was  very 
tedious  because  of  the  darkness  and  rain.  At 
daylight  the  head  of  the  column  reached  the  bluffs 
overlooking  the  Mechanicsville  pike,  and  Sheridan 
massed  his  command  here,  between  the  first  and 
second  lines  of  works  around  Richmond.  Shells 
had  been  buried  in  the  road  and  one  of  them  ex- 
ploded as  the  regiment  passed,  killing  a  horse. 

The  enemy's  works  and  batteries  were  encount- 
ered and  it  became  evident  that  the  column  could 
not  pass  between  the  works  and  the  Chickahominy. 
General  Custer's  brigade  was  detailed  to  repair 
Meadow  Bridge  and  force  a  crossing,  which  was 
attempted  under  a  persistent  and  heavy  fire  from 
the  enemy  posted  on  the  opposite  side.  It  was 
necessary  to  repair  this  bridge  while  it  was  swept 
by  the  fire  of  a  battery.  General  Merritt's  division 
was  sent  in  to  do  what  had  become  too  much  for  a 
brigade  to  accomplish.  The  bridge  was  finally 
floored  with  rails  and  planks  and  a  column  pushed 
across.  The  defeat  of  the  Confederates  entrenched 
opposite   this   bridge,    and  the    repulse   of    the    two 


112  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

brigades  which  came  out  from  Richmond,  ended 
their  hopes  of  doing  anything  to  seriously  impede 
Sheridan's  cavalry  corps,  which  crossed  and  con- 
tinued its  march. 

The  reofiment  remained  with  the  column  until  it 
arrived  at  Bottoms  bridge,  when,  on  the  14th,  it 
was  detached  and  ordered  to  Fort  Monroe  to  hurry 
forward  supplies.  The  regiment  marched  to  Wil- 
liamsburg the  first  day, — a  distance  of  fifty  miles, — 
and  with  little  or  no  rest  continued  the  march  to 
Fort  Monroe,  arriving  the  next  day  and  delivering 
General  Sheridan's  dispatches. 

The  regiment  remained  here  until  noon  of  May 
2 1  St,  when  the  return  march  was  begun  and  the 
cavalry  corps  was  met  on  the  2 2d  at  the  White 
House.  The  cavalry,  having  received  the  much 
needed  supplies,  rejoined  the  army  on  the  24th 
near  Chesterfield  station,  on  the  Richmond  and 
Fredericksburg  Railroad. 

The  regiment  participated  in  the  general  advance 
of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  on  the  Pamunkey, 
crossing  the  stream  on  the  pontoon  bridge  at  Old 
Hanovertown,  and  proceeded  to  the  vicinity  of 
Hawes'  Shop,  where  a  severe  cavalry  fight  took 
place  on  May  28th.  Old  Church  was  next  occupied 
and  the  cavalry  pushed  out  toward  Cold  Harbor, 
and  on  the  31st  that  important  point  was  captured 
after  a  hard  fight  against  both  cavalry  and  infantry. 


WITH    SHERIDAN    TO    THE    END.  II 3 

During  the  general  engagement  at  Cold  Harbor, 
June  1st,  between  the  two  armies,  the  regiment 
was  on  the  left  and  did  not  participate  actively 
in  the  fighting,  and  moved  next  day  down  the 
Chickahominy  to  near  Bottoms  Bridge,  the  Con- 
federates being  on  the  opposite  side.  The  regi- 
ment returned  to  White  House  landing  June  4th, 
and  on  the  5th  started  to  New  Castle  Ferry, 
where  the  trains  were  to  meet  the  corps. 

On  June  7th,  the  regiment,  provided  with  three 
days'  rations  to  last  for  five  days,  and  two  days'  grain 
on  the  saddles,  started  with  General  Sheridan  on 
the  Trevilian  raid  to  cut  the  Virginia  Central  Rail- 
road near  Charlottesville.  The  advance  continually 
skirmished  with  the  enemy  until  Trevilian  station 
was  reached  on  the  nth,  when  a  severe  battle 
took  place  with  Hampton's  and  Fitzhugh  Lee's 
cavalry  divisions,  resulting  in  their  defeat.  One  of 
the  objects  of  the  raid  was  to  effect  a  junction  with 
General  Hunter.  This  was  not  accomplished,  and 
Sheridan's  command  returned,  hampered  to  some 
extent  by  about  five  hundred  wounded  and  a  like 
number  of  prisoners.  The  regiment  lost  a  few 
men  wounded  and  a  few  prisoners. 

The  return  march  to  the  White  House  was  be- 
gun on  the  1 2th,  and  it  was  not  until  the  North 
Anna  had  been  crossed  on  the  morning  of  the  13th 

that    the    horses    were    unsaddled   and   allowed    to 
8 


114  FROM    YORKTOWN   TO    SANTIAGO. 

graze.  They  were  nearly  famished,  having  been 
without  food  for  two  days. 

On  the  15th,  the  corps  crossed  the  Mattapony  on 
the  pontoon  bridge,  the  Sixth  remaining  there  to 
await  the  arrival  of  detachments  left  behind.  After 
all  had  crossed,  the  bridge  was  taken  up  on  the 
1 8th,  and  the  regiment  rejoined  the  corps  the  next 
day.  On  June  21st  the  regiment  crossed  on  the 
railroad  bridge  and  marched  to  New  Baltimore  and 
thence  to  the  James  river,  arriving  at  Wilcox's  Land- 
ing on  the  26th ;  crossed  the  river  in  boats  on  the 
28th,  and  engaged  the  enemy  at  Dabney's  Mills 
next  day.  The  regiment  returned  on  the  30th  of 
June  to  near  City  Point,  Virginia.  The  cavalry  had 
now  been  marching  and  fighting  for  fifty-six  consecu- 
tive days,  and  was  placed  in  camp  near  Light  House 
Point  to  rest  and  refit. 

The  regiment  went  with  General  Sheridan  in  his 
rapid  march  from  Reams  station  to  relieve  General 
Wilson's  division,  which  had  been  attacked  by  both 
cavalry  and  infantry  and  forced  to  withdraw  by  a 
circuitous  route.  The  regiment  returned  to  near 
Light  House  Point  and  encamped,  remaining  until 
General  Sheridan  was  ordered  to  report  with  his 
command  for  temporary  duty  to  General  Hancock, 
July  26th  the  regiment  crossed  to  the  north  side  of 
the  James,  at  Turkey  Bend,  on  a  pontoon  bridge, 
and  went  with  the  corps  to  Deep  Bottom,  and  par- 


WITH    SHERIDAN    TO    THE    END,  II 5 

ticipated  in  the  fight  there.  The  river  was  recrossed 
on  July  30th,  and  the  regiment  went  into  camp  at 
Prince  Georofe  Court   House. 

The  movement  to  the  north  side  of  the  James 
had  been  made  to  cause  the  enemy  to  weaken 
his  strength  about  Petersburg,  at  which  point  the 
famous  mine  was  about  to  be  exploded.  The  move- 
ment back  and  forth  over  the  bridge  was  attended 
with  grave  danger  of  successful  attack  by  the  enemy 
at  the  bridge  head,  and  the  sleepless  anxiety  told 
heavily  on  the  entire  command. 

General  Sheridan  was  relieved  from  duty  with 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  August  ist,  1864,  and 
assigned  to  the  command  of  the  Middle  Military 
Division  and  the  Department  of  the  Shenandoah 
Valley.  Company  L  was  detached  and  accompanied 
the  general  as  his  escort. 

On  August  1 2th  the  remaining  companies  of  the 
regiment  embarked  on  transports  at  Light  House 
Point,  and  were  disembarked  on  the  following  day 
at  Geisboro  Point,  the  great  depot  for  cavalry 
horses,  opposite  Washington,  and  encamped  near 
the  Navy  Yard  bridge.  On  the  15th  the  regiment 
left  the  latter  place  and  marched  via  Rockville, 
Frederick  and  Knoxville,  Maryland,  to  Harper's 
Ferry,  where  it  encamped  on  Bolivar  Heights  on 
August  19th.  On  the  following  day  the  regiment 
proceeded  to  Berryville  and  joined  the  corps  head- 


Il6  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

quarters  near  that  place,  two  divisions  of  the  cav- 
alry corps  having  preceded  this  movement  to  the 
Shenandoah  Valley.  The  regiment  remained  near 
Berryville  until  the   19th  of  September. 

About  3  a.  m.  on  the  morning  of  September  19th, 
the  regiment  started  from  the  Opequon,  and  pro- 
ceeding across  the  fields  to  the  left  and  front  of 
Winchester,  got  into  position  about  10  a.  m.  Then 
followed  the  battle  of  Winchester,  which,  with  var^dng 
successes  to  either  side,  had  nearly  consumed  the 
day  without  either  gaining  materially  over  the  other, 
when  orders  were  given  to  charge  the  Confederate 
left  with  the  cavalry.  Two  divisions,  ist  and  3d  of 
the  corps,  were  thrown  with  all  the  force  possible 
upon  the  enemy's  left  flank,  and  forced  it  back  on 
Winchester ;  the  infantry  at  the  same  time  attacking 
the  front,  they  withdrew  through  Winchester  in 
haste.  Night  came  on  and  put  a  stop  to  the  pur- 
suit. During  this  battle  the  officers  of  the  regiment 
which  was  escorting  General  Sheridan  acted  as  his 
aides. 

On  the  20th  the  march  was  resumed  along  the 
main  road  leading  south  through  the  valley,  and 
over  which  the  Confederates  had  retreated.  Near 
noon  on  the  2  2d  the  Confederates  were  in  position 
at  Fisher's  Hill,  an  eminence  which  commands  the 
valley  from  side  to  side,  and  quite  a  defensive 
place    naturally.       No    attempt    was    made   to    carry 


WITH    SHERIDAN    TO    THE    END.  I  I  7 

the  position  by  front  attack  ;  but  skirmish  firing  and 
the  forming  of  Hnes  were  kept  up  to  attract  atten- 
tion, while  General  Crook,  with  the  Eighth  Corps, 
retired  to  the  rear  about  three  miles  and  crossed 
to  the  right  side  of  the  valley,  which  lies  between 
two  chains  of  mountains  covered  with  brush.  Here 
his  men  ascended  the  side  of  the  mountain,  and 
crawling  through  the  brush,  reached  the  left  flank 
of  the  Confederates  about  sunset.  Descending 
from  the  mountain,  the  Confederate  line  was  flanked 
and  being  charged  from  in  front  at  the  same  time, 
broke  and  fled. 

The  regiment  was  about  the  only  cavalry  pres- 
ent at  this  time,  and  the  want  of  more  was  seriously 
felt.  Devin's  Brigade  joined  in  the  pursuit  that 
followed  through  the  entire  night,  beyond  Wood- 
stock, and  captured  many  prisoners.  The  23d 
was  spent  in  picking  up  prisoners  who  had  become 
separated  from  their  organizations  the  night  before. 
The  valley  at  this  point  is  a  little  more  than  one 
mile  wide,  and  perfectly  open.  The  enemy  was 
driven  on  up  the  valley,  the  regiment  reaching 
Harrisonburg  on  the  24th,  where  it  remained  for 
some  days. 

When  on  the  return  march  down  the  valley, 
everything  in  the  shape  of  forage,  wheat,  corn,  etc., 
was  destroyed,  and  live  stock  driven  along  with 
the    column.     This  was  for  the   purpose  of   placing 


Il8  FROM    YORKTOWN   TO    SANTIAGO. 

the  valley  in  such  a  condition  that  the  Confederate 
army  could  no  longer  depend  upon  it  for  supplies. 
The  decisive  cavalry  battle  known  as  "  Tom's 
Brook "  was  fought  October  9th,  the  rest  of  Sheri- 
dan's army   halting  while  Torbert   defeated   Rosser. 

The  regiment  went  into  camp  near  Cedar  Creek 
on  October  12th  and  remained  until  attacked  on  the 
morning  of  October  19th,  1864.  About  4  a.  m., 
the  army  was  surprised  in  camp  and  there  was 
considerable  confusion  owing  to  the  darkness.  The 
regiment  saddled  in  haste  and  got  into  line.  At 
break  of  day  it  was  discovered  that  the  left  had 
been  taken  by  surprise  and  involved  the  whole 
line,  which  doubled  back  from  left  to  right.  Shortly 
after  daylight  the  Confederates  were  in  possession 
of  the  camps  and  all  they  contained.  The  troops 
retired  to  the  Sixth  Corps,  which  was  less  demoral- 
ized than  the  others,  stubbornly  contesting  the 
ground.  A  new  line  was  selected  about  two  miles 
to  the  rear  of  the  first  position  on  Cedar  Creek. 
The  advance  of  the  Confederates  here  ceased,  and 
a  line  was  being  established  to  resist  further  ad- 
vance, when  General  Sheridan  arrived  on  the  field 
about  three  o'clock,  from  Winchester.  The  com- 
mand in  his  absence  had  devolved  upon  General 
Wright,  of  the  Sixth  Corps. 

Soon  after  General  Sheridan's  arrival  the  advance 
was    ordered ;    the    tide   of    battle    turned   and    the 


WITH    SHERIDAN    TO    THE    END.  II9 

Confederates  were  routed  with  the  loss  of  their 
captures  of  the  morning,  much  of  their  own  artil- 
lery, trains  and  fifteen  hundred  prisoners.  Captain 
Lowell,  of  the  Sixth,  who  led  the  reserve  brigade 
to  the  charge  in  this  battle,  was  killed.  The  regi- 
ment camped  that  night  on  its  old  camp  ground 
and  remained  there  until  the  middle  of  November, 
when  it  withdrew  to  Kernstown,  three  miles  south 
of  Winchester. 

Early  in  December  the  regiment  marched  to 
Stephenson's  station  and  formed  a  part  of  General 
Merritt's  command  on  his  raid  into  Loudoun  Valley, 
returning  on  the  loth.  December  19th  the  regi- 
ment went  with  General  Torbert's  command  on 
the  raid  tO  Gordonsville,  and  returned  December 
31st,  when  it  went  into  camp  for  the  winter  at 
Kernstown.  The  weather  was  intensely  cold  during 
these  operations  and  both  men  and  horses  suffered 
severely. 

February  27th,  1865,  the  camp  was  broken  up 
and  the  regiment  marched  from  Winchester  with 
the  cavalry  corps,  under  General  Sheridan,  up  the 
valley  on  the  way  to  rejoin  the  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac, near  Petersburg.  It  was  supposed  that  the 
Shenandoah  Valley  and  Virginia  generally  had  been 
devastated  before,  but  the  brigade  commander's 
report  shows  that  it  was  still  possible  to  find  a  few 
things  upon  which  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia 


I20  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

might    rely    in   its    dying    struggle    with    the    mighty 
host  closing  around  it : 

"  Headquarters  Cavalry  Reserve  Brigade, 

Camp  near  White  House,  Virginia, 

March  21st,  1865. 

Major: — In  compliance  with  instructions  from  headquar- 
ters, First  Cavalry  Division,  of  this  date,  I  have  the  honor  to 
make  the  following  report  of  the  operations  of  this  brigade 
since  leaving  Winchester,  Virginia,  on  the  27th  ultimo: 

The  brigade,  consisting  of  the  Sixth  U.  S.  Cavalry,  Lieu- 
tenant McLellan  commanding;  Sixth  Pennsylvania  Cavalry, 
Major  Morrow  commanding;  First  Rhode  Island  Cavalry, 
Captain  Capron  commanding;  Second  Massachusetts  Cavalry, 
Colonel  Crowninshield  commanding,  left  camp  at  Winchester 
on  the  morning  of  the  27th  of  February  last;  marched  thirty 
miles  to  camp,  one  mile  beyond  Woodstock.  The  Sixth  U.  S. 
Cavalry  and  Sixth  Pennsylvania  Cavalry  were  sent  under 
command  of  Major  Morrow  to  Edenburg;  drove  the  enemy's 
pickets  from  the  town  and  secured  the  bridges  at  that  place. 
On  the  28th,  marched  to  Laurel  (Lacey's)  Spring,  thirty 
miles;  arrived  at  3.30  a.m.,  on  the  ist  instant.  On  March 
I  St  marched  through  Harrisonburg  to  within  five  miles  of 
Staunton,  twenty-nine  miles.  Marched  on  the  Waynesborough 
road  eleven  miles,  and  camped  on  Christian's  Creek  on  the 
2d  of  March.  On  March  3d,  marched  to  Waynesborough; 
destroyed  iron  bridge  over  North  Fork,  South  River;  de- 
stroyed one  light  steel  3-inch  ordnance  limber  and  caisson; 
also  100  wagons,  forges,  battery  and  ammunition  wagons; 
threw  ammunition  into  river;  also  a  large  quantity  of  mus- 
kets, small  ammunition  and  other  ordnance  stores,  previously 
captured  same  day  by  the  Third  Cavalry  Division  under 
Brevet  Major-General  Custer.  Moved  through  Rockfish  Gap 
and  camped  two  miles  beyond  Brooksville,  fifteen  miles; 
weather  cold  and  rainy;  roads  execrable.  On  the  4th, 
marched  eight  miles  and  camped  at  Ivy  Depot,  on  the  Vir- 
ginia  Central   Railroad;  burned  the   depot,  water-tank  and 


WITH    SHERIDAN    TO    THE    END.  121 

warehouse  containing  Confederate  tobacco  and  commissary 
stores;  roads  and  weather  worse.  March  5th,  marched  seven 
miles;  camped  near  University  of  Virginia,  at  Charlottesville. 
Joined  the  command,  drew  rations,  burned  the  tents  and 
lightened  the  loads.  On  the  6th,  marched  without  transpor- 
tation to  Scottsville,  twenty-one  miles;  worked  till  midnight 
destroying  James  River  Canal,  locks,  boats,  with  subsistence 
stores,  and  bridges;  7th,  burned  woolen  factory  with  a  large 
quantity  of  cloth,  candle  factory  with  a  large  amount  of 
candles,  lard-oil,  etc.;  large  five-story  flouring  mill,  with  flour, 
corn  and  wheat;  a  large  manufactory,  machine-shops  and 
tobacco  warehouses. 

I  regret  that  a  few  private  dwellings,  close  to  the  mill,  were 
more  or  less  charred  by  the  intense  heat.  No  accident  or 
loss  of  life,  however,  occurred.  Same  day  marched  towpath 
to  New  Market,  thirty-two  miles,  destroying  canal  locks, 
bridges,  stables,  storehouses,  tobacco,  etc.  Halted  and  burned 
large  mill  at  Warren.  Stopped  at  Howardsville;  destroyed 
large  wagon  and  plow  factory,  wagon-shop,  forge;  also  rail- 
road bridge,  and  tobacco  and  subsistence  warehouses.  On 
the  8th,  marched  up  towpath  to  Bent  Creek  bridge,  on  the 
James,  opposite  Duguidsville,  and  returned  to  New  Market, 
twenty-five  miles.  Returned  by  bridge  road.  Weather  rainy, 
and  return  road  dangerous  and  deep  in  mud.  On  the  9th, 
moved  back  to  Howardsville;  thence  on  towpath  to  Scotts- 
ville, which  place  was  reached  at  noon  on  the  loth;  thence 
moved  same  day  to  Fluvanna  Institute  and  Columbia;  camped 
about  midnight;  distance  marched,  fifty-six  miles  in  thirty- 
six  hours.  March  nth,  moved  across  the  viaduct  and  camped 
two  miles  beyond  Columbia.  March  12th,  marched  twenty- 
four  miles  to  near  Tolersville;  thence  to  Frederick's  Hall 
Station,  fifteen  miles,  destroying  sections  of  Virginia  Central 
Railroad,  twisting  rails,  burning  cross-ties,  &c. ;  camped  two 
miles  beyond  the  station  near  Army  Headquarters.  March 
14th,  marched  to  Taylorsville,  on  Richmond  and  Potomac 
Railroad,  twenty-seven  miles.  Burned  railroad  bridges  (three) 
on  Richmond  and  Potomac  Railroad  and  Virginia  Central 


122  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

Railroad,  over  the  Little  and  South  Anna  River,  respectively, 
looo,  600  and  700  feet  long.  Captured  three  pieces  of  artil- 
lery (3-inch  ordnance  guns)  by  a  few  men  of  the  Fifth  U.  S. 
and  Second  Massachusetts  Cavalry;  turned  the  guns  and 
fired  upon  the  enemy.  Marched  on  the  15th  across  the  South 
Anna;  remained  in  position  all  day;  deployed  Sixth  U.  S. 
Cavalry  as  skirmishers.  Sent  squadron  of  Second  Massa- 
chusetts Cavalry  to  Hanover  Court  House;  marched  back  to 
Oxford,  across  the  North  Anna  and  bivouaced,  ten  miles. 
On  the  i6th,  rejoined  wagons;  marched  through  Chesterfield 
Station  on  Mangohick  Church,  eighteen  miles.  March  17th, 
marched  via  Aylett's  to  King  WiUiam  Court  House;  camped 
at  2  p.  m.  On  the  eighteenth  moved  slowly  to  White  House, 
where  arrived  at  2  p.  m.  Found  forage  and  stores  awaiting 
us.  Marched  on  19th  across  the  river,  and  camped  on  Hill's 
plantation.  Weather  last  three  days  warm  and  pleasant;  road 
sandy  and  much  better. 

Total  casualties  in  this  brigade,  3  killed  and  2  wounded. 
I  am,  Major,  very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

Alfred  Gibbs, 

Brigadier-General  of  Volunteers, 

Commanding,  Cavalry  Reserve  Brigade. 

Major  A.  E.  Dana, 

Assistant  Adjutant-General, 
First  Cavalry  Division." 

The  cavalry  joined  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  near 
Petersburg,  March  27th,  1865,  and,  on  March  29th, 
proceeded  to  Dinwiddie  Court  House.  Here  the 
cavalry  corps  engaged  the  enemy  on  the  30th,  and 
drove  them  into  their  works  at  Five  Forks,  hold- 
ing the  position  for  three  hours  against  repeated 
attacks   and   until    the  ammunition    was    exhausted. 


WITH    SHERIDAN    TO    THE    END.  1 23 

The  enemy  got  in  on  the  right  flank  of  the  regiment 
under  cover  of  dense  woods,  and  when  the  Hne  was 
withdrawn  for  ammunition  the  Confederates  charged 
the  flank,  capturing  Lieutenant  Nolan  and  eighteen 
men.  On  March  31st,  their  infantry  having  come 
up,  the  enemy  attacked  and  drove  the  cavalry  corps 
back  to  Dinwiddle.  Next  morning  the  regiment 
occupied  the  extreme  right  in  the  memorable  battle 
of  Five  Forks  and  connected  with  the  Fifth  Corps 
when  it  came  into  action  during  the  afternoon,  the 
regiment  wheeling  to  the  left  and  resting  the  right 
on  the  enemy's  works.  About  3  p.  m,  an  advance 
was  ordered  which  never  ceased  until  sunset,  when 
the  battle  was  won. 

The  cavalry  corps  went  in  pursuit,  April  2d,  and 
came  up  with  the  Confederates  and  engaged  them 
at  3  p.  m.,  but  they  retreated.  The  pursuit  was 
continued  incessantly  and  with  great  loss  to  the 
enemy  until  April  6th,  when  they  were  compelled 
to  make  a  stand  to  save  their  trains.  The  cavalry 
corps  pressed  hard  on  their  flank  and  awaited  a 
favorable  opportunity  to  capture  the  trains.  Their 
infantry  was  forced  to  form,  enabling  the  Sixth 
Corps  to  arrive  during  the  delay.  The  Third 
Cavalry  Division  was  now  ordered  to  charge, 
the  other  two  divisions  supporting,  and  this,  the 
battle  of  Sailor's  Creek,  resulted  in  the  capture  of 
about   10,000  Confederates. 


124  FROM    YORKTOWN   TO    SANTIAGO. 

During  this  action  the  regiment  was  ordered  to 
take  possession  of  some  log  huts.  It  is  recorded 
in  the  regimental  archives  that  the  few  men  now 
left  in  the  ranks  hesitated,  believing  it  was  sure 
death  ;  but  Lieutenant  McLellan,  a  veteran  of  the 
old  army,  faced  them  and  said,  "  Men,  let  us  die 
like  soldiers."  Ever)^  one  of  the  little  band  rushed 
for  the  huts  under  a  shower  of  bullets,  and  gained 
the  cover  with  a  loss  of  but  three  men  wounded. 

The  pursuit  was  pressed  until  9  p.  m.  While 
trying  to  force  a  passage  across  the  creek  after 
dark,  a  shell  burst  in  the  midst  of  the  little  remnant 
bearing  so  bravely  the  standard  of  the  Sixth,  and 
wounded  three,  one  of  whom  died  next  day.  The 
march  was  resumed  on  the  7th,  and  on  the  8th, 
after  a  forced  march  to  Appomattox  station,  a  charge 
was  made  resulting  in  important  captures.  April 
9th,  1865,  the  Confederates  made  a  desperate 
attack  upon  the  cavalry  at  Clover  Hill,  but  the 
arrival  of  infantry  supports  about  9  a.  m.,  relieved 
the  cavalry,  which  immediately  proceeded  at  a  gallop 
to  the  enemy's  left  with  a  view  to  charging  upon 
that  flank.  On  nearing  the  Confederate  lines  a 
flag  of  truce  was  met  requesting  a  cessation  of 
hostilities  as  it  had  been  decided  to  surrender.  The 
surrender  was  announced  at  4  p.  m. 

Sheridan's  cavalry  led  the  advance  of  the  army 
to  the  Wilderness  ;    again   led  it   to    Cold    Harbor ; 


WITH    SHERIDAN    TO    THE    END.  1 25 

by  its  raid  to  Trevilian  it  caused  the  enemy  to  with- 
draw its  cavalry  during  the  march  of  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac  to  the  James  river  and  Petersburg ; 
then  transferred  operations  to  the  Shenandoah 
Valley,  clearing  up  that  region  in  time  to  rejoin 
the  army  near  Petersburg,  and  to  earn  in  the  final 
campaign  fame  which  will  endure  for  all  time. 

From  the  5th  of  May,  1864,  to  the  9th  of  April, 
1865,  the  day  on  which  the  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia  surrendered,  the  cavalry  corps  sent  to  the 
War  Department  two  hundred  and  five  battle-flags, 
captured  in  open  field  fighting ;  this  nearly  equals 
the  number  sent  by  the  combined  Union  armies 
during  the  whole  period  of  the  war. 

As  soon  as  General  Lee's  army  surrendered  the 
cavalry  was  started  for  Petersburg,  and  after  a  brief 
rest  resumed  the  march  for  North  Carolina  to  join 
General  Sherman's  army.  When  near  Danville, 
the  news  that  Johnston's  army  had  surrendered 
was  received  and  the  cavalry  turned  back  and  pro- 
ceeded to  Petersburg.  From  here  the  regiment 
marched  to  Washinofton  via  Richmond  and  Alex- 
andria,  arriving  May  21st,  1865,  where  it  was  re- 
viewed by  General  Sheridan  and  then  proceeded 
to  camp  near  Bladensburg,  Maryland. 

The  regiment,  although  depleted  to  a  mere  shadow 
of  the  full  organization  which  so  proudly  marched 
down    Pennsylvania     Avenue     three    years    before, 


126  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

turned  out  and  participated  in  the  historic  Grand 
Review,  which  took  place  in  Washington,  May  23d, 
1865.  No  finer  or  more  seasoned  body  of  men 
ever  passed  in  review  before  a  sovereign  than  the 
array  which  filed  before  the  President  and  his 
assembled  grand  commanders  on  that  day. 

The  salient  features  of  the  regiment's  history 
during  this  most  eventful  period  of  our  nation's 
existence  have  now  been  traced  from  the  date  of 
its  first  service,  in  the  Peninsula  campaign,  until 
formed  for  the  last  charge  at  Appomattox.  The 
history  of  the  regiment  is  that  of  the  regular 
brigade,  than  which  none  brighter  appears  upon 
the  records  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  The 
regiment  was  fortunate  at  the  beginning  of  its 
career  in  having  General  Emory  present  as  its 
lieutenant-colonel  to  organize  it.  The  talent  and 
courage  of  the  squadron  leaders,  who  so  materially 
aided  in  establishing  a  reputation  for  the  regiment, 
caused  the  early  loss  of  these  officers,  who  were 
soon  selected  for  higher  commands.  Brave  Sanders, 
a  southerner  and  West  Pointer,  who  remained  loyal, 
was  promoted  to  brigadier-general  and  was  killed 
at  the  siege  of  Knoxville,  Tennessee.  Lowell  was 
killed  while  leading  the  brigade  to  the  charge,  he 
being  then  colonel  of  volunteers  serving  in  the 
same  brigade  with  his  own  Sixth.  There  were 
many   other   officers   of  the    regiment    holding  high 


C^A-^JtivJfo.- 


CAVALRY   OFFICER,    FULL   DRESS,    1865. 


WITH    SHERIDAN    TO    THE    END.  127 

commands,  like  Generals  Hunter,  Emory,  Carleton, 
Kautz,  the  two  Greggs,  and  others,  who  rendered 
good  service  commensurate  with  the  increased  rank 
held  by  them. 

Subsequent  to  the  close  of  hostilities,  the  Adju- 
tant-General's office  not  having  given  proper  credit 
to  the  regiment  for  its  services  in  battle.  General 
Sheridan  sent  to  the  War  Department  the  following 
communication,  which  is  cherished  as  a  manly  and 
characteristic  action  on  the  part  of  that  great  leader : 

"  I  take  this  occasion  to  strongly  urge  that  justice  be  done 
the  Sixth  Cavalry,  and  that  the  battles  as  given  in  the  within 
order  issued  by  me  *  *  *  be  credited  to  this  regiment  on  the 
next  Army  Register,  so  that  its  record,  or  so  much  of  it  as 
is  permitted  in  the  Army  Register,  may  be  in  a  measure  cor- 
rect and  complete.  In  the  following  battles  the  Sixth  Cavalry 
fought  under  my  personal  supervision,  viz.:  Wilderness, 
Todd's  Tavern,  Furnaces,  Spottsylvania  Court  House,  Yellow 
Tavern,  Meadow  Bridge,  Winchester,  Fisher's  Hill,  Cedar 
Creek,  Five  Forks,  Dinwiddie  Court  House,  Clover  Hill, 
Sailor's  Creek  and  Appomattox  Court  House." 

The  records  of  casualties  during  the  Civil  War 
show  eight  officers  killed  ;  53  men  killed  in  action, 
and  53  other  deaths;  122  wounded  in  action,  and 
17  killed  by  accident;  438  missing,  most  of  these 
being  captured  at  Fairfield  and  in  other  charges  ; 
making  a  total  of  689  enlisted  men. 

The  regiment  participated  in  the  following  ac- 
tions during  the  war  : 


128 


FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 


Date. 


Place. 


Companies  Engaged. 


April  5th  to  May  4th,  1863. Siege  of  Torktown,  Va Regiment. 

May  4th  and  5th,  1862 Williamsburg,  Va A,B,D,E,F,G,H 

May  9th,  1863    Slatersville,  Va A,E,K. 

May  20th,  1863 New  Bridge,  Va A,B,D,E,F,G,H 

May  23d  and  24th,  1862  . .  .Ellison's  Mills,  Va A,B,D,E,r,G,H 

May  25th  to  29th,  1862 Hanover  Court  House,  Va A,B,D,E,F,G,H 

June  36th,  1863 Black  Creek,  Va A,B,D,E,F,G,H 

June  37th,  1863 Gaines'  Mills,  Va Detachments. 

June  30th  to  July  3d,  1862. Malvern  Hill,  Va A,B,D,E,F,G,H 

August  4th  to  6th,  1863..  .Malvern  Hill,  Va A,B,D,E,r,G,H 

September  4th,  1862 Falls  Church,  Va A,B,D,E,F,G,H 

September  10th,  1862 Sugar  Loaf  Mountain,  Md A,B,D,E,r,G,H 

Sept.  16th  and  17th,  1862  . Antietam,  Md A,B,D,E,F,G,H 

October  7th,  1862 Charlestown,  Va A,B,D,E,F,G,H 

November  1st,  1862 Philomont,  Va A,B,D,E,F,G,H 

November  2d,  1862 Union,  Va A,B,D,E,r,G,H 

November  3d,  1863 Upperville,  Va A,B,D,E,F,G,H 

November  5th,  1863 Barbee's  Cross  Roads,  Va A,B,D,E,F,G,H 

November  8th,  1863 Little  Washington,  Va A,B,D,E,F,G,H 

November  10th,  1863 Corbin's  Cross  Roads,  Va A,B,D,E,F,G,H 

Dec.  11th  to  15th,  1863  . .  .Fredericksburg,  Va Regiment. 

February  14th,  1863 Richard's  Ford,  Va B. 

Apr.  39th  to  May  7th,  1863 .  Stoneman's  Raid,  Va Regiment. 

June  9th,  1863 Beverly  Ford,  Va Regiment. 

June  17th,  1863 Benton's  Mill,  Va Regiment. 

June  21st  to  32d,  1863 Upperville,  Va , .  .Regiment. 

July  1st  to  3d,  1863 Gettysburg,  Pa Regiment. 

July  6th,  1863 Williamsport,  Md Regiment. 

July  7th,  1863 Funkstown,  Md Regiment. 

July  7th  to  13th,  1863  . . .  .Boonsborough,  Md Regiment. 

July  9th  to  11th,  1863  . . .  .Near  Funkstown,  Md Regiment. 

Sept.  13th  to  15th,  1863. .  .Brandy  Station,  Va Regiment, 

October  11th,  1863 Culpeper  and  Brandy  Station,  Va. Regiment. 

Nov.  26th  to  Dec.  2d,  1863 .  Mine  Run  Campaign,  Va Regiment. 

May  5th  to  7th,  1864 The  Wilderness,  Va Regiment. 

May  7th  and  8th,  1864 Todd's  Tavern,  Va Regiment. 

May  9th  to  12th,  1864 Sheridan's  expedition  from  Todd's 

Tavern  to  James  River,  Va. .  .Regiment. 

May  11th,  1864 Yellow  Tavern,  Va Regiment. 

May  12th,  1864 Meadow  Bridge,  Va Regiment. 

May  12th,  1864 Mechanicsville,  Va Regiment. 

May  33d  to  June  1st,  1864. On    North    Anna,   Pamunkey   and 

Totopotomoy  Rivers,  Va Regiment. 


LK,M. 


K,M. 
K,M. 
K,M. 
K.M. 


K,M. 

K,L,M. 

K,L,M. 

K,L,M. 

K,L,M. 

K,L,M. 

K,L,M. 

K,L,M. 

K,L,M. 

K,L,M. 

K,L,M. 

K,L,M. 


WITH    SHERIDAN    TO    THE    END.  1 29 

Date.  Place.  Companies  Engaged. 

May  27th  and  38th,  1864  .  .Hawes'  Shop,  Va Regiment. 

May  30th,  1864 Old  Church,  Va Regiment. 

MaySlst  and  June l8t,1864.  Cold  Harbor,  Va Regiment. 

June  11th  to  13th,  1864. .  .Trevilian  Station,  Va Regiment. 

June  to  August,  1864 Before  Petersburg,  Va Regiment. 

June  29th,  1864 Dabney's  Mill,  Va Regiment. 

July  27th  to  29th,  1864. .  .Deep  Bottom,  Va Regiment. 

August  16th,  1864 Berryville,  Va Regiment. 

September  19th,  1864 Winchester,  Va A,B,C,D,F,G,n,I,K,L,M. 

September  20th,  1864 Fisher's  Hill,  Va A,B,C,D,F,G,H,I,K,L,M. 

Sept.  20th  to  30th,  1864. .  .Sheridan's  expedition  in  the  Shen- 
andoah Valley,  Va A,B,C,D,F,G,H,I,K,L,M. 

October  19th,  1864 Cedar  Creek,  Va A,B,C,D,F,G,H,I,K,L,M. 

November  29th,  1864 Loudoun  Valley,  Va A,B,C,D,F,G,H,I,K,L,M. 

March  14th,  1865 Taylorsville,  Va A,B,C,D,F,G,H,I,K,L,M. 

March  31st,  1865 Dinwiddie  Court  Honse,  Va A,B,C,D,F,G,H,I,K,L,M. 

April  1st,  1865 Five  Forks,  Va A,B,C,D,F,G,H,I,K,L,M. 

April  2d,  1865 Southerland  Station,  Va A,B,C,D,F,G,H,I,K,L,M. 

April  6th,  1865 Sailor's  Creek,  Va A,B,C,D,F,G,H,I,K,L,M. 

April  8th  and  9th,  1865  . .  .Appomattox  Court  House,  Va A,B,C,D,F,G,H,I,K,L,M. 

This  is  a  goodly  array  of  actions,  many  of  them 
historic  battles,  in  which  the  regiment  took  part. 
For  each  battle  fought  there  are  weeks  and  months 
of  outpost  duty,  weary  marches  and  fruitless  scouts, 
that  try  the  strength  and  spirit  of  every  command. 
It  is  a  marvel  that  any  regiment  could  keep  up  its 
organization  at  all,  under  such  service  conditions, 
without  a  depot  squadron  from  which  to  recruit  its 
depleted  ranks.  All  honor  is  due  to  the  brave  men 
who  constantly  rallied  to  the  standard  from  dis- 
mounted camps,  hospitals  and  southern  prisons. 
The  cavalry  officer  must  ever  lead  the  way,  but  in 
a  civil  war  no  regiment  can  hope  to  have  its  guidons 
always  with  the  advance  guard,  as  were  those  of 
9 


I^O 


FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 


the  Sixth  Cavalry,  unless  the  men  in  the  ranks  are 
filled  with  esprit-de-corps,  born  of  loyalty,  faith 
and  courage. 

Note. — As  originally  organized,  the  regiment  was  divided  into  three 
battalions,  two  squadrons  to  each  battalion  and  two  companies  to 
each  squadron.  The  Act  of  July  17th,  1862,  changed  the  designation 
of  company  to  troop.  General  Order  No.  5,  Headquarters  of  the 
Army,  June  20th,  1873,  provided  that  the  word  company  should  be 
used  in  official  orders  and  communications.  This  designation  was 
continued  up  to  May,  1881,  when  the  Secretary  of  War  directed  that 
the  legal  designation — troop — should  be  used  instead  of  company. 

The  terms  battalion,  squadron  and  company  have  been  retained  in 
the  chapters  relating  to  the  period  of  the  Civil  War.  In  the  subse- 
quent chapters  squadron  and  troop  have  been  used  to  conform  to 
present  practice.  The  tactical  use  of  two-company  squadrons  practi- 
cally disappeared  after  the  Civil  War. 


REGIMENT    ORDERED    TO    TEXAS.  I3I 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Regiment  Ordered  to  Texas. 

Reorganization  after  War — Scarcity  of  Officers — Value  of 
Subalterns  from  the  Old  Army — Embarkation  from  New 
York — Storm  off  Hatteras — Horses  thrown  overboard — 
New  Orleans — Regiment  reaches  Texas — Varied  duties  of 
Reconstruction  Period — Cholera — Indians  attack  Garrison 
Buffalo  Springs — Fights  with  Comanches — Schreyer's — Ser- 
geant Ahrberg's — Chaffee's,  near  Paint  Creek — McLel- 
lan's,  near  North  Fork  Little  Wichita — Rafferty's  Fight 
WITH  Keechies — Tupper's,  near  Big  Wichita — Sergeant 
Strupp's — Chaffee's,    near    Belknap   Road — Mellen's    Ride. 

HILE  the  volunteer  regiments  were 
being  sent  to  their  homes  as 
rapidly  as  the  available  transportation 
could  move  them,  the  regulars  were 
ordered  into  camps  to  prepare  for  service 
on  the  western  frontier.  After  a  few  days* 
encampment  at  Cloud's  Mill,  near  Alex- 
andria, Virginia,  the  Sixth  was  sent  to  Frederick, 
Maryland,  where  it  arrived  on  June  14th,  and  a 
general  reorganization  of  the  regiment  began. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  the  losses  of  the 
regular  regiments  could  not  be  made  up  by  recruit- 
ment during  the  war.  This  arose  principally  from  the 
fact  that  enormous  bounties  were  paid  for  volunteers 


132  FROM    YORKTOV/N    TO    SANTIAGO. 

in  various  States.  At  one  time  volunteers  were 
transferred  quite  freely  to  fill  up  the  regiment,  but 
this  source  of  supply  soon  failed.  The  result  was 
that  the  strength  of  the  troops  steadily  declined, 
and  at  one  period,  after  a  succession  of  heavy 
losses,  the  men  were  consolidated  into  two  pro- 
visional companies,  the  records  of  each  organization, 
however,  being  kept  separate.  The  incomparable 
Reserve  Brigade  of  the  cavalry  corps,  to  which  the 
Sixth  belonged,  mustered  less  than  five  hundred 
sabres  during  the  closing  scenes  of  the  grand  drama 
enacted  near  Appomattox. 

Some  of  the  difficulties  of  reorganizing  the  regi- 
ment may  be  understood  by  an  examination  of  the 
list  of  ofTficers,  showing  what  duties  they  were 
engaged  upon.  It  will  be  observed  that  there  was 
not  a  second  lieutenant  in  the  regiment  at  this  time. 

Stations  and  Duties  of  Officers  of  the  Sixth  Cavalry,  June 

30TH,  1865. 
Colonel. 

David  Hunter Major-General  Volunteers. 

Lieutenant-Colonel. 

S.  D.  Sturgis  Brigadier-General  Volunteers. 

Majors. 

J.  H.  Carleton Brigadier-General  Volunteers. 

R.  M.  Morris  Commanding  regiment. 

S.  H.  Starr On  leave. 

Captains. 

A.  V.  Kautz  Brigadier-General  Volunteers. 

A.  W.  Evans  Colonel,  ist  Maryland  Cav. 

W.  S.  Abert Colonel,  3d  Mass.  Artillery. 

J.  H.  Taylor Lieutenant-Colonel,  A.  A.  G.  Vols. 

J.  L  Gregg Brigadier-General  Volunteers. 


REGIMENT    ORDERED    TO    TEXAS.  1 33 

G.  C.  Cram On  leave. 

J.  S.  Brisbin Colonel,  5th  U.  S.  Colored  Cav. 

I.  W.  Claflin Inspector  Cav'y  Dept.,  W.  Va. 

B.  T.  Hutchins  Lieutenant-Colonel,  ist  N.  H.  Cav. 

H.  T.  McLean With  regiment. 

T.  Paulding  Recruiting  service,  N.  Y.  City. 

J.  B.  Johnson Recruiting  service,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

1st  Lieutenants. 

J.  F.  Wade  Colonel,  6th  U.  S.  Colored  Cav. 

J.  C.  Audenried Captain,  A.  D.  C.   Vols. 

Henry  Tucker En  route  to  regiment. 

J.  W.  Spangler A.A.Q.M.  at  Hdqrs.,  Middle  Mil.  Div. 

C.  B.  McLellan  With  regiment. 

Albert  Coats Lieut.-Colonel,  6th  U.  S.  Colored  Cav. 

Joseph  Kerin  Mustering  duty. 

S.  M.  Whitside Commissary  of  musters. 

Daniel  Madden With  regiment. 

Nicholas  Nolan  With  regiment. 

J.  A.  Irwin  With  regiment. 

T.  C.  Tupper Recruiting  service,  Carlisle  Bks.,  Penna. 

L.  H.  Carpenter Lieut.-Colonel,  5th  U.  S.  Colored  Cav. 

J.  H.  Wood Lieut.-Colonel,  2d  N.  Y.  Mtd.  Rifles. 

A.  R.  Chaffee With  regiment. 

2d  Lieutenants.  None. 

The  regiment  received  hundreds  of  recruits  dur- 
ing the  summer,  the  majority  of  them  having  seen 
some  service  in  the  volunteers.  Many  officers 
joined  also,  including  a  number  of  newly  commis- 
sioned second  lieutenants.  It  was  very  serious 
work  for  the  few  officers  present  to  reorganize  and 
drill  the  new  companies  at  a  time  when  every  one 
was  tired  of  war  and  the  volunteers  were  being 
welcomed  home  in  every  village  and  town  of  the 
north. 

Now,  again,  was  shown  the  wisdom  of  the  course 
adopted   in    the    original    organization    of   the    regi- 


134  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

ment,  in  which  it  was  provided  that  a  certain  per- 
centage of  the  officers  should  be  appointed  from 
the  ranks  of  the  army.  This  brought  in  as  subal- 
terns a  body  of  well  instructed  drill-masters  from 
the  old  cavalry  regiments,  who  having  adopted  the 
army  as  a  career,  remained  habitually  for  duty  with 
the  regulars.  Their  courage  and  capacity  as 
squadron  leaders  were  tested,  not  only  on  many 
hard  fought  battlefields,  but  in  the  rehabilitation 
necessary  after  every  raid  or  campaign  under  such 
leaders  as  Pleasanton,  Stoneman,  Buford,  Merritt 
and  Sheridan. 

The  regiment  broke  camp  at  Frederick,  Mary- 
land, October  15th,  1865,  and  proceeded  by  rail  to 
Battery  Barracks,  New  York,  where  it  embarked, 
October  19th,  on  board  the  steamship  "Herman 
Livingston "  for  New  Orleans.  The  steamer  sailed 
early  next  morning,  and  when  off  the  coast  near 
Hatteras,  during  the  23d  and  24th,  encountered  a 
violent  storm.  One  of  the  sad  incidents  of  this 
trying  voyage  was  the  loss  of  horses,  thrown  over- 
board to  lighten  the  ship.  The  ship  weathered  the 
severe  gale  which  sent  many  vessels  to  the  bottom, 
and  reached  Key  West  on  the  night  of  the  27th, 
and  New  Orleans  on  November  2d. 

The  regiment  remained  in  camp  near  New 
Orleans  until  the  loth,  when  it  sailed  on  the  steamer 
"  Clinton "  for  Galveston,  arriving  there  on  Novem- 


REGIMENT    ORDERED    TO    TEXAS.  1 35 

ber  1 2th.  Austin,  Texas,  was  reached  on  November 
29th,  and  Camp  Sanders  established  half  a  mile 
west  of  the  town.  The  headquarters  remained 
here  for  nearly  three  years,  when  on  August  24th, 
1868,  it  was  moved  to  Fort  Richardson. 

The  regiment  performed  not  only  the  usual  fron- 
tier service,  but,  in  addition,  much  of  a  character 
not  strictly  military.  The  troops  were  seldom  em- 
ployed together  ;  in  fact  they  were  not  infrequently 
scattered  all  over  the  State.  During  the  period 
1865  to  1 87 1,  the  duties  in  Texas  were  of  the  most 
varied  and  dangerous  kind.  After  the  close  of  the 
Civil  War  the  country  was  over-run  with  desper- 
adoes and  outlaws  who  were  even  worse  than  the 
hostile  Comanches,  and  the  officers  and  men  were 
continually  called  upon  to  guard  the  courts  of 
justice,  assist  revenue  officers,  aid  in  executing  con- 
victed criminals,  supervise  elections,  pursue  outlaws 
and  murderers,  and  in  general  to  institute  lawful 
proceedings  where  anarchy  reigned.  Many  soldiers 
were  assassinated  for  their  devotion  to  law  and 
order,  and  nothing  but  incessant  vigilance  and  un- 
flinching courage  prevented  the  guerrilla  community 
from  controlling  the  border  counties  of  that  State. 

Owing  to  the  scattered  condition  of  the  troops 
the  records  of  this  period  are  very  meagre  and 
unsatisfactory,  and  important  actions  in  the  light  of 
to-day  are    entirely   omitted  or  remain   only  as   tra- 


136  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

ditions  in  the  regiment.  This  difficulty  is  one  met 
with  in  all  regimental  records  where  those  making 
the  history  are  usually  so  overworked  that  they 
seldom  have  time  or  deem  it  important  to  record 
current  events. 

On  June  12th,  1866,  G  troop  was  sent  from 
Austin  to  New  Orleans,  for  reconstruction  duty,  and 
remained  there  for  more  than  two  years  during  a 
most  critical  period  of  the  city's  history,  performing 
duty  at  General  Sheridan's  headquarters,  as  the 
regiment  had  done  during  his  more  active  career  in 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

A  detachment  of  the  regiment  marched  from 
Fort  Belknap  during  the  month  of  July,  to  Max- 
well's celebrated  ranch  on  the  Clear  Fork  of  the 
Brazos  river,  and  established  Fort  Griffin  which 
was  subsequently  occupied  by  a  portion  of  the 
regiment. 

During  September,  1866,  F  troop  was  sent  to 
Spring  Creek  to  escort  recruits  for  the  regiment  to 
Austin.  Upon  arriving  at  Onion  Creek,  September 
15th,  on  the  return  journey,  cholera  broke  out  and 
the  command  went  into  camp.  Lieutenant  Adam 
Kramer  was  sent  from  Austin,  took  charge  and 
endeavored  to  stamp  out  the  much  dreaded  disease. 
Ten  of  the  men  died  before  the  command  could 
move  on  to  Austin. 

Under  instructions    dated  June    5th,    from    Head- 


REGIMENT   ORDERED    TO    TEXAS.  1 37 

quarters,  District  of  Texas,  Captain  Ira  W.  Claflin 
left  Austin  with  H  troop  on  a  tour  of  inspection 
of  the  posts  at  Jacksboro,  Fort  Belknap,  Phantom 
Hill,  Chadbourne,  and  other  places,  marching  nearly 
fourteen  hundred  miles. 

A  vast  amount  of  scouting  was  done  in  Texas 
by  the  regiment,  sometimes  merely  as  patrol  duty, 
but  not  infrequently  resulting  in  overhauling  war 
parties  of  the  roving,  restless  Indians  who  inhabited 
Texas  and  Mexico,  and  who  had  developed  ordinary 
horse  and  cattle  stealing  into  a  fine  art. 

On  July  2 1  St,  1867,  while  Captain  Hutchins  with 
a  greater  part  of  the  garrison  from  Buffalo  Springs 
was  trailing  a  party  of  Indians,  who  had  committed 
depredations  in  Jack  County,  the  post,  which  had 
been  left  with  a  small  detachment  and  quarter- 
master employees,  under  Lieutenant  Majtheny,  was 
attacked  by  Indians  who  were  repulsed  with  a  loss 
of  one  horse  killed  and  one  Indian  wounded. 
When  Captain  Hutchins  abandoned  the  pursuit 
because  the  Indians  scattered  and  the  trail  was 
lost,  he  returned  to  find  that  they  had  evidently 
re-assembled  at  a  preconcerted  rendezvous  and 
endeavored  to  capture  the  post  before  the  garrison 
could  get  back.  There  were  a  number  of  families 
at  the  post  during  the  attack  and  the  small  number 
of  enlisted  men  present  made  Lieutenant  Majtheny's 
task    a    difficult    one.       Fortunately,    however,    the 


130         FROM  YORKTOWN  TO  SANTIAGO. 

efforts  of  the  Indians  were  frustrated,  but  they 
hovered  about  the  vicinity  until  the  approach  of  the 
returning  troops  was  discovered,  when  they  disap- 
peared. 

Lieutenant  Gustavus  Schreyer,  with  Troop  F,  en- 
countered a  band  of  Indians  near  Fort  Belknap, 
Texas,  August  30th,  1867,  and  lost  two  men  killed. 

The  following  commendatory  order  speaks  well 
for  the  enlisted  men  of  the  regiment: 

"  Headquarters,  District  of  Texas, 

Austin,  Texas,  November  21st,  1867. 
General  Orders 
No.  40. 
The  Brevet  Major-General  Commanding  takes  pleasure  in 
commending  the  energy  and  courage  displayed  by  Sergeant 
W.  A.  F.  Ahrberg,  Troop  '  L,'  6th  U.  S.  Cavalry,  and  the 
detachment   under  his   command,   in   their   recent  encounter 
with  a  party  of  Comanche  Indians;  whereby  three  Indians 
were  killed,  one  captured,  nineteen  animals  and  some  arms 
recovered,  and  the  Indians  completely  routed. 

By  command  of  Brevet  Major-General  J.  J.  Reynolds. 

C.  E.  Morse, 
1st  Lieutenant,  26th  Infantry,  A.  A.  A.  G." 

The  captured  horses  were  restored  to  the  citizens 
from  whom  they  had  been  stolen. 

March  5th,  1868,  Captain  A.  R.  Chaffee  with 
Troop  I  left  Fort  Griffin,  Texas  at  8.30  a.  m.,  on  a 
scout  after  Indians.  He  marched  on  the  day  men- 
tioned to  Leobetter's  Ranch  and  from  thence  in  the 
night  to  Dead  Man's  Creek.     Crossed  Clear    Fork 


REGIMENT   ORDERED    TO    TEXAS.  1 39 

of  the  Brazos,  about  twelve  miles  below  Phantom 
Hill,  on  the  6th,  and  soon  after  found  an  Indian 
trail  which  he  followed  throughout  the  day.  On  the 
7th,  about  10  o'clock,  he  came  upon  a  party  of 
Indians  camped  near  Paint  Creek.  The  Indians 
were  charsfed  and  seven  of  them  killed.  The  com- 
manding  officer  issued  the  following  complimentary 
order,  on  the  return  of  the  troop  to  the  post : 

"  Headquarters,  Fort  Griffin,  Texas, 
March  loth,  1868. 
General  Orders 
No.  19. 
The  Commanding  Officer  takes  pleasure  in  openly  announ- 
cing to  the  troops  of  this  command  the  complete  success  of 
the  expedition  which  left  this  post  on  the  6th  instant,  under 
command  of  Captain  A.  R.  Chaffee,  6th  U.  S.  Cavalry.  This 
short  and  decisive  campaign  has  resulted  in  the  killing  of 
five  Indians  and  one  Mexican  and  one  Mulatto  (both  of  whom 
were  leaders),  the  capture  of  five  horses,  together  with  a 
large  number  of  shields,  bows,  arrows,  etc.,  and  the  total 
breaking  up  of  an  Indian  camp,  which  has  been  for  a  long 
time  a  scourge  to  the  people  of  the  frontier.  The  casualties 
on  our  side  were  three  men  wounded,  viz.:  Privates  John  F. 
Butler  and  Charles  Hoffman,  of  I  troop,  and  Private  James 
Regan  of  F  troop.  With  the  exception  of  the  wounds  of  these 
men,  the  result  is  extremely  gratifying;  yet,  of  course,  not 
more  so  than  the  soldierly  manner  in  which  the  troops  bore 
their  deprivations  throughout  the  pursuit,  suffering  from  the 
want  of  water  and  want  of  shelter  from  the  cold  storm  that 
raged  throughout  the  entire  march,  without  a  murmur  of  dis- 
content. In  all  campaigns  where  important  results  are 
achieved,  and  especially  in  operations  against  Indians,  where 
the  nature  of  the  country  is  not  well  known,  troops  must 
expect  to  undergo  hardships  and  deprivations,  which  cannot 


140  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

be  foreseen  or  obviated;  yet  it  is  only  the  true  soldiers  who 
accept  these   inconveniences   as   necessary  and  unavoidable, 
and  who,  like  men,  maintain  their  spirits  in  spite  of  these. 
(Signed)        S.  D.  Sturgis, 
Lieutenant-Colonel,  6th  Cavalry,  Commanding." 

About  this  time  the  desperadoes  previously  men- 
tioned, organized  into  bands  of  outlaws  in  many 
parts  of  Texas,  one  of  the  most  notorious  being 
Lee's  band.  On  March  7th,  1868,  Corporal  Hen- 
hold,  Troop  D,  left  Sherman,  Texas,  with  13  en- 
listed men  and  some  citizen  guides,  to  break  up  this 
band.  The  pursuit  carried  the  detachment  to  Read 
Creek  swamp,  where  the  band  was  effectually 
broken  up  by  killing  two  and  capturing  five  of  their 
number.  One  troop  marched  more  than  a  thousand 
miles  in  pursuit  of  outlaws  during  the  last  three 
months  of  1868. 

The  year  1869,  was  not  uneventful,  although  there 
were  no  fights  with  the  Indians,  who,  while  engag- 
ing in  petty  depredations  and  preparing  for  more 
deviltry  on  a  large  scale,  managed  to  avoid  actual 
collision.  Matters  drifted  along,  but  by  constant 
activity  and  scouting  the  troops  succeeded  in  pre- 
serving peace  along  the  frontier  assigned  to    them. 

The  Indians  grew  more  bold  in  1870,  and  began 
to  operate  over  a  wide  extent  of  country.  Lieu- 
tenant I.  M.  Walters,  who  was  out  with  a  detach- 
ment,   encountered   a   band    of    marauding    Indians 


REGIMENT    ORDERED    TO    TEXAS.  I4I 

on  May  30th  and  fought  them  with  a  loss  of  one 
soldier  and  two  citizens  killed.  During  July  they 
made  attacks  along  the  mail  stage  route,  and  troops 
were  hurried  from  all  the  camps  to  reopen  the  line 
and  drive  the  Indians  back  to  the  reservations. 
Captain  McLellan  was  the  first  to  come  in  contact 
with  them,  and  his  report  gives  so  thorough  an  idea 
of  the  scouting  for  Indians  on  the  frontier,  that  it 
is  quoted  in  full: 

"  Fort  Richardson,  Texas,  July  i6th,  1870. 

Lieutenant  Sumner  H.  Bodfish, 

Adjutant,  Sixth  U.  S.  Cavalry,  Post  Adjutant. 
Lieutenant: — I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  following 
report:  In  obedience  to  Special  Orders  No.  131,  dated  Head- 
quarters, Fort  Richardson,  Texas,  July  6th,  1870,  I  left  this 
post  with  a  detachment  of  two  commissioned  officers,  one 
acting  assistant  surgeon  and  fifty-three  enlisted  men  from 
Troops  A,  C,  D,  H,  K  and  L,  6th  U.  S.  Cavalry,  in  pursuit 
of  a  party  of  Indians  who  were  reported  as  having  attacked 
the  Overland  Mail  party  and  captured  the  mail  at  Rock  Sta- 
tion, about  sixteen  miles  west  of  this  post;  on  arriving  at  that 
point  I  found  the  mail  wagon  a  short  distance  from  the  road. 
I  also  found  a  small  package  addressed  to  the  quartermaster 
of  this  post,  also  the  bottom  of  the  mail-bag,  but  could  dis- 
cover no  indication  of  a  large  party  of  Indians  or  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  head  of  horses  as  reported  by  the  mail 
driver.  I,  however,  discovered  a  trail  of  not  more  than  eight 
or  ten  horses,  leading  in  a  northwesterly  direction.  Owing 
to  the  lapse  of  time  in  reaching  this  point,  the  rough  character 
of  the  country,  and  the  im.possibility  of  following  so  small  a 
trail  with  prospect  of  overtaking  the  party,  I  proceeded  to 
Flint  Creek,  twenty-two  miles  from  this  post,  at  which  point 
I  overtook  Lieutenant  Sands,  in  command  of  F  troop,  6th 


142  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

U.  S.  Cavalry.  This  officer  reported  to  me  that  he  had  found 
the  mail  emptied  into  the  bottom  of  the  mail-wagon;  on 
examining  the  mail,  I  found  but  few  of  the  packages  had 
been  disturbed. 

I  encamped  with  Lieutenant  Sands  for  the  night,  and  on 
the  morning  of  the  7th,  dispatched  a  courier  to  Fort  Richard- 
son with  the  mail,  then  proceeded  in  a'  westerly  direction, 
passed  to  the  foot  of  Flat  Top  Mountain,  and  thence  in  a 
northwesterly  direction  to  the  headwaters  of  Salt  Creek, 
where  I  encamped  for  the  night.  In  consequence  of  a  heavy 
rain  storm  on  the  night  of  the  6th,  all  traces  of  Indians  which 
may  have  existed  were  entirely  obliterated. 

On  the  morning  of  the  8th,  I  marched  in  a  northwesterly 
direction,  a  distance  of  sixteen  miles,  and  encamped  at  water 
holes  in  Mesquito  prairie,  and  could  still  discover  no  signs  of 
Indians.  On  the  morning  of  the  9th,  I  marched  in  a  north- 
westerly direction,  crossing  the  headwaters  of  the  West  Fork 
of  the  Trinity  River,  where  I  discovered  the  trail  of  a  party 
of  five  or  six  Indians.  Believing  this  to  be  the  trail  of  a  por- 
tion of  the  party  who  robbed  the  mail,  I  followed  it  in  an 
easterly  direction  along  the  West  Fork  of  the  Trinity,  a  dis- 
tance of  eight  miles,  where  the  trail  became  very  indistinct 
owing  to  the  heavy  rain  of  the  morning.  I  then  marched  in 
a  northerly  direction,  crossing  the  headwaters  of  the  South 
Fork  of  the  Little  Wichita,  where  I  found  the  whip  belonging 
to  the  mail  driver  and  a  very  indistinct  trail  leading  in  a  west- 
erly direction.  The  trail  not  being  sufficiently  distinct  to 
warrant  my  following  it,  I  proceeded  in  a  northwesterly  direc- 
tion until  I  struck  the  headwaters  of  the  Middle  Fork  of  the 
Little  Wichita,  where  I  encamped  for  the  night  on  a  high 
blufT  on  the  south  side  of  the  North  Fork  of  the  Little  Wichita. 
In  consequence  of  the  heavy  rains  for  some  days  previous, 
the  creek  was  impassable,  but  was  falling  rapidly.  I  remained 
in  camp  on  the  nth,  with  a  view  of  crossing  on  the  morning 
of  the  I2th,  or  as  soon  as  the  creek  should  fall  sufficiently  to 
enable  me  to  do  so.  Before  daylight  on  the  morning  of  the 
1 2th,  a  severe  rain  storm  set  in,  rendering  the  creek  entirely 
impassable. 


REGIMENT   ORDERED    TO    TEXAS.  1 43 

At  lo  o'clock  a.  m.,  I  marched  in  a  westerly  direction  with 
the  view  of  scouting  the  country  around  the  headwaters  of 
the  North  Fork  of  the  Little  Wichita  and  between  that  point 
and  the  Brazos  River.  I  had  proceeded  about  five  miles  when 
the  advance  guard  reported  four  Indians  in  sight  moving  in 
a  southerly  direction.  I  immediately  closed  up  the  command 
and  moved  in  the  direction  the  Indians  had  taken  at  a  smart 
trot,  and  had  proceeded  at  that  gait  for  a  distance  of  about 
half  a  mile  when  I  came  in  sight  of  a  colurnn  of  Indians, 
larger  than  my  own,  and  about  a  thousand  yards  distant.  I 
immediately  formed  in  line  with  a  view  to  charging  this 
column. 

After  arriving  within  five  hundred  yards  of  the  Indians,  I 
discovered  two  other  bands  about  equal  in  numbers  to  those 
first  discovered,  and  also  a  number  of  scattered  Indians  on 
both  my  flanks.  A  large  band  of  the  Indians  on  my  left 
immediately  started  towards  my  pack  mules,  which,  with  the 
rear  guard,  were  about  four  hundred  yards  in  rear  of  my  line. 
Thinking  it  impracticable  to  charge  the  Indians,  owing  to 
their  greatly  superior  force  and  the  risk  of  having  the  rear 
guard  and  pack  mules  (which  composed  a  little  more  than 
one-third  of  my  command)  cut  ofif,  I  halted  and  opened  fire, 
which  was  promptly  returned  by  the  Indians.  After  main- 
taining my  position  for  about  half  an  hour,  being  completely 
surrounded  by  the  Indians  and  exposed  to  a  galling  fire  from 
all  sides,  and  finding  it  utterly  impossible  to  make  any  im- 
pression upon  the  enemy,  I  became  convinced  that  the  only 
hope  of  extricating  my  command  from  their  dangerous  posi- 
tion, without  great  loss  and  perhaps  total  annihilation,  was  to 
retreat  to  some  strong  point  where  I  could  act  on  the  defensive 
without  the  danger  of  again  being  surrounded.  I  dismounted 
the  command  and  fell  back  slowly  in  a  southerly  direction, 
maintaining  the  crest  of  the  rolling  prairie,  closely  followed 
by  the  Indians,  who  kept  up  a  rapid  fire  from  every  available 
point. 

I  continued  falling  back  for  four  hours  and  a  half,  being 
exposed  during  the  entire  time  to  a  hot  fire  from  the  rear  and 


144  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

both  flanks,  and  in  very  many  instances  being  obliged  to 
dislodge  the  enemy  from  commanding  points  in  my  line  of 
retreat.  My  retreat  lay  for  the  most  part  over  a  rolling 
prairie,  the  remainder  over  a  marshy  and  broken  country, 
which  was  rendered  much  more  difficult  of  passage  by  the 
recent  heavy  rains.  About  3  p.  m.,  I  forded  the  Middle  Fork 
of  the  Little  Wichita,  still  closely  followed  by  the  enemy. 
About  4  p.  m.,  I  forded  the  South  Fork  of  the  same  stream, 
where  the  enemy  abandoned  the  pursuit. 

After  resting  the  command  for  a  brief  period,  I  marched  in 
a  southeasterly  direction,  crossing  the  West  Fork  of  the 
Trinity  and  continued  my  march  until  midnight,  when  I  went 
into  camp  about  10  miles  northwest  of  Flat  Top  Mountain. 
On  the  morning  of  the  13th,  I  dispatched  couriers  to  Fort 
Richardson,  requesting  that  ambulances  might  be  sent  me 
for  the  transportation  of  my  wounded.  My  intention  was  to 
remain  in  camp  until  the  arrival  of  the  ambulances,  but  about 
8  a.  m.  my  pickets  were  driven  in  by  a  party  of  about  forty 
Indians.  Fearful  that  they  might  be  the  advance  party  of  the 
band  I  had  fought  on  the  12th,  and  not  being  in  a  condition 
to  renew  the  fight  against  so  largely  superior  numbers,  I 
burnt  all  the  property  that  I  was  unable  to  transport  and 
mounted  my  command  and  marched  in  a  southeasterly  direc- 
tion, and  struck  the  Belknap  road  about  23  miles  west  of  Fort 
Richardson,  and  from  thence  marched  along  the  road  to 
Rocky  Station,  where  I  rested  for  three  hours,  I  then  moved 
forward  again  and  after  about  two  miles  I  met  the  ambu- 
lances from  Fort  Richardson  and  went  into  camp.  On  the 
morning  of  the  14th  I  marched  to  Fort  Richardson,  which 
post  I  reached  about  12  m. 

My  object  in  making  this  apparent  forced  march  during 
the  night  of  the  12th  was  for  the  purpose  of  removing  the 
wounded  as  rapidly  as  possible  to  this  post. 

The  casualties  during  the  engagement  were  two  enlisted 
men  killed,  one  acting  assistant  surgeon  and  ten  enlisted  men 
wounded.  The  wounded  were  all  brought  ofif  the  field,  but 
I  regret  to  state  that  the  killed  were  left  in  the  hands  of  the 


REGIMENT   ORDERED    TO    TEXAS.  1 45 

enemy,  it  being  utterly  impossible  to  carry  them  off  the  field. 
I  had  eight  horses  killed  and  twenty-one  wounded.  The  loss 
of  the  enemy  Avas  fifteen  killed  and  a  large  number  wounded. 

I  captured  one  horse,  and  am  happy  to  state  that  nothing 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  except  one  pack  containing 
the  baggage  of  the  officers. 

It  gives  me  pleasure  to  bear  testimony  to  the  gallantry  dis- 
played by  Brevet  Captain  C.  H.  Campbell  and  Lieutenant 
H.  P.  Perrine,  6th  U.  S.  Cavalry.  During  the  engagement 
both  of  these  officers  had  their  horses  shot  under  them  early 
in  the  fight.  Acting  Assistant  Surgeon  G.  W.  Haldi  was 
wounded  early  in  the  fight  and  had  his  horse  shot  twice  during 
the  engagement. 

I  would  make  especial  mention  of  the  following  enlisted 
men  who  made  themselves  conspicuous  in  acts  of  bravery 
during  the  engagement: 

1st  Sergeant  Stokes,  Sergeant  Kerrigan,  Corporals  Smith 
and  Connor,  of  Troop  H;  ist  Sergeant  Kirk,  Sergeant  May, 
Corporal  Watson,  Bugler  Winders,  Farrier  Porter  and  Pri- 
vate Neal,  of  Troop  L;  Sergeant  Winterbottom,  of  Troop  A; 
Sergeant  Eldridge,  of  Troop  C,  and  Corporal  Given,  of 
Troop  K. 

The  citizen  guide,  Mr.  Dozier,  deserves  great  credit  for  the 
cool  manner  in  which  he  performed  his  duties  during  the 
fight;  in  fact,  I  am  proud  to  state  that  the  entire  command 
acted  in  the  most  creditable  manner,  nobly  contesting  every 
inch  of  ground  during  the  retreat  and  falling  back  slowly  and 
in  perfect  order.  There  were  not  less  than  two  hundred  and 
fifty  warriors  opposed  to  my  small  command,  and  all  well 
mounted  and  armed  with  Spencer  carbines,  rifles  and  revolv- 
ers, with  an  abundance  of  ammunition  and  without  incum- 
brance of  any  kind,  not  having  any  squaws  or  children,  and 
but  few  pack  animals.  I  am  impressed  with  the  belief  that 
this  band  of  Indians  were  Comanches,  from  the  reservation, 
for  in  my  experience  of  twenty-one  years'  service  on  this 
frontier,  and  being  my  sixth  engagement  with  hostile  Indians, 
I  have  never  before  met  a  party  so  well  appointed  in  every 


146  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

respect.  I  captured  some  red  flannel,  perfectly  new  and  un- 
soiled,  which,  in  my  opinion,  gives  evidence  beyond  a  doubt 
that  they  could  not  have  been  long  from  some  point  of  civiliza- 
tion. 

I  regret  that  I  cannot  claim  a  victory,  but  at  the  same  time 
will  state  that  it  was  one  of  the  most  important  engagements 
that  ever  took  place  in  northern  Texas,  and  taking  all  into 
consideration,  I  regard  the  expedition  a  perfect  success.  I 
found  the  Indians  in  force  and  fought  them  with  my  small 
command  for  four  and  a  half  hours,  and  taught  them  a  lesson 
which  they  will  not  soon  forget.  In  conclusion  I  extend  to  the 
entire  command  my  heartfelt  thanks  for  the  gallant  manner 
in  which  they  behaved  during  the  engagement;  nobly  and 
with  alacrity  did  they  perform  the  duties  assigned  them. 
Total  distance  marched  during  the  expedition,  about  two  hun- 
dred miles. 

Appended  please  find  list  of  killed  and  wounded. 

Very  respectfully. 

Your  obedient  servant, 

C.  B.  McLellan, 

Captain  6th  Cavalry,  Brevet  Major,  U.  S.  A,, 

Commanding  Troop  L." 

This  action  called  forth  the  fighting  qualities  of 
the  individual  members  of  the  command,  and  so 
gallantly  did  they  respond  that  the  War  Depart- 
ment conferred  medals  of  honor  upon  nine  of  the 
enlisted  men  for  specific  acts  of  bravery.  The 
Department  Commander  publicly  complimented  the 
command  in  a  general  order,  as  follows  : 

"  The  Department  Commander  has  the  pleasure  of  com- 
mending the  gallantry  displayed  by  a  detachment  of  the  6th 
U.  S.  Cavalry,  under  command  of  Captain  Curwen  B.  Mc- 
Lellan, 6th  U.  S.  Cavalry,  on  the  12th  and  13th  of  July,  1870, 


INDIAN   WARRIOR   WATCHING   CAVALRY   COLUMN. 


REGIMENT    ORDERED    TO    TEXAS.  1 47 

in  Baylor  County,  Texas,  against  a  greatly  superior  number 
of  Indians.  This  engagement  doubtless  saved  the  frontier 
counties  in  northwestern  Texas  from  a  most  destructive  raid 
from  a  band  of  250  Indians." 

The  Indians  became  very  bold  immediately  after 
their  fight  with  Captain  McLellan,  and  under  date 
of  July  1 7th  the  colonel  of  the  regiment,  General 
James  Oakes,  reported  from  Fort  Richardson  that 
all  that  part  of  Texas  was  infested  with  Indians, 
well  mounted  and  clothed,  and  armed  with  repeat- 
ing carbines  and  rifles.  The  Indians  belonged  to 
the  Fort  Sill  reservation. 

Captain  T.  C.  Tupper,  with  his  Troop  G,  left 
Fort  Richardson  June  ist,  1870,  to  escort  cattle 
to  Kansas,  en  route  over  the  trail  to  California. 
On  his  return  march  he  passed  through  Indian 
Territory'  and  found  the  conditions  at  Fort  Sill  and 
along  the  Texas  border  anything  but  satisfactory. 
In  his  report  he  mentions  in  detail  numerous 
murders  and  outrages  committed  in  that  region, 
and  says : 

"  It  seems  to  be  generally  impossible  to  ascertain  anything 
of  a  reliable  nature  of  the  depredations  committed  by  these 
Indians.  They  constantly  accuse  each  other,  trade  arrows, 
steal  horses  and  carry  away  women  and  children,  and  perhaps 
take  an  occasional  scalp,  and  that  they  make  no  concealment 
of  it,  but  when  remonstrated  with  by  their  agents,  excuse 
themselves  upon  the  plea  that  the  theft  or  murder  was  com- 
mitted in  Texas,  which  State  they  evidently  consider  not  a 
portion  of  the  United  States.  Many  of  them  already  acknowl- 
edge having  been  with  raiding  parties  in  Texas." 


148  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

In  a  report  from  Fort  Sill,  dated  August  2nd, 
1870,    Brevet  Major-General    B.  H.  Grierson    says: 

"  Two  raiding  parties  have  been  reported  as  having  been 
in  Texas,  and  an  engagement  occurred  between  them  and  the 
6th  U.  S.  Cavalry  in  which  three  Indians  were  killed  and  a 
number  wounded.  The  Indians  report  that  Kiowas  have  in 
their  possession  seven  captives,  one  woman  and  six  children, 
who  were  lately  captured  in  Texas.  They  agree  to  bring 
them  in  and  deliver  them  up,  as  well  as  captured  property,  and 
state  they  had  just  held  a  general  council  and  had  decided  to 
cease  all  hostilities  and  would  be  here  soon,  and  that  the 
balance  of  the  Cheyennes,  now  with  the  Kiowas,  would  return 
to  their  agency." 

This  intolerable  state  of  affairs  continued  along 
the  Texas  border  for  some  years,  in  fact  the  con- 
dition was  so  bad  that  even  after  the  regiment  had 
moved  to  Kansas  for  station,  the  only  change  in 
its  duties  was  to  scout  south  to  the  border  instead 
of  north,  from  its  former  posts  in  Texas. 

September  26th,  1870,  Captain  W.  A.  Rafferty 
left  Fort  Richardson,  with  twenty-two  men  of  his 
Troop  M  and  five  Tonkawa  Indians,  on  a  scout 
towards  the  headwaters  of  the  Trinity  river,  and 
encamped  the  next  night  where  Captain  McLellan 
bivouacked  with  his  command  after  his  fight  in  the 
preceding  July.  On  September  29th,  after  going 
into  camp  on  a  branch  of  the  Little  Wichita,  two 
Indians  were  discovered  about  a  mile  from  camp. 
A   part  of  the    command    saddled  up    and   pursued 


REGIMENT   ORDERED    TO    TEXAS.  1 49 

them  for  several  miles  when  they  escaped  in  the 
underbrush  and  could  not  be  trailed  because  of  the 
rocky  ground. 

At  daylight,  on  October  4th,  the  guide,  Mr.  Dozier 
circled  the  camp  and  discovered  a  trail  across  the 
Fort  Belknap  road,  two  miles  to  the  eastward,  which 
had  been  made  the  previous  night,  and  led  north 
to  the  Wichita  mountains.  The  trail  was  followed 
over  wooded  mountains  for  twenty  miles,  and  upon 
emerging  on  the  prairie  the  Indians  were  not  in 
sight.  The  prairie  was  crossed,  principally  at  a 
trot,  for  about  twenty-five  miles,  making  the  day's 
pursuit  fifty  miles. 

The  command  bivouacked,  and  at  daylight  took 
up  the  trail  again.  After  following  across  the 
Little  Wichita  six  or  seven  miles,  the  Indians  were 
overtaken  and  immediately  attacked.  Two  Indians 
were  killed  and  one  was  wounded,  but  by  aban- 
doning his  horse  the  latter  escaped  in  the  under- 
brush. The  remainder  of  the  party,  eight  or  ten 
in  number,  escaped ;  two  horses  were  killed  and 
eighteen  captured.  The  pursuit  was  abandoned 
when  the  Indians  scattered  towards  the  mountains. 
One  of  the  Indians  killed  was  Keech-Quash,  chief 
of  the  Keechies.  He  had  a  hunting-pass  on  his 
person.  A  saddle,  some  female  clothing  and  other 
articles  were  captured,  which  indicated  that  the 
Indians  had  been  recently  raiding  a  settlement. 


150  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

Captain  T.  C.  Tupper  left  Camp  Wichita,  Texas, 
October  3d,  1870,  with  Troops  A  and  G  on  a 
scout.  On  the  night  of  October  6th,  while  in  camp 
between  the  Big  and  Little  Wichita  rivers,  the  camp 
was  charged  by  a  body  of  forty  or  fifty  mounted 
Indians.  The  charge  was  made  with  yells  and 
firing,  evidently  to  stampede  the  animals  which 
were  double  lariated  to  picket  lines,  except  the 
more  spirited  animals  which  were  tied  to  mesquite 
trees.  There  was  an  outer  camp-guard  of  ten  men 
and  the  entire  squadron  was  bivouacked  in  couples, 
at  intervals  of  fifteen  or  twenty  yards,  surrounding 
the  horses. 

The  charge  of  the  Indians  was  checked  within 
about  twenty  yards  of  G  troop  by  the  fire  which 
was  promptly  opened  on  them  from  that  side.  The 
charging  party  divided  into  two  columns  and  rode 
off  into  the  darkness.  During  the  firing  twelve 
horses  broke  loose  and  stampeded.  Stable  call 
was  sounded  at  the  first  alarm,  and  the  men,  ex- 
cept those  stationed  on  the  outskirts  of  the  camp, 
returned  to  their  horses. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  after  the  Indians  withdrew, 
Captain  Mauck  with  thirty-five  mounted  men  went 
in  pursuit,  in  the  effort  to  recover  the  horses.  Soon 
after  their  departure  the  camp  was  again  fired  into 
by  some  of  the  Indians.  Captain  Mauck  made  a 
circuit  of  about  twelve  miles  around  the  camp,  but 


REGIMENT    ORDERED    TO    TEXAS.  I5I 

could  discover  no  reofular  trail  and  returned  about 
2  a.  m.  At  daylight  the  search  for  the  trail  was 
taken  up  again,  but  as  the  command  had  neither 
guide  nor  Indian  scouts,  the  scattered  renegades 
could  not  be  traced.  A  wounded  pony,  some 
lances  and  a  few  arrows  were  all  that  was  left  to 
indicate  the  recent  presence  of  hostiles. 

Captain  Tupper  concluded  that  the  Indians  had 
gone  toward  the  Big  Wichita  river  and  proceeded 
in  that  direction.  The  dismounted  men  whose 
horses  had  been  lost,  twelve  in  number,  were  pro- 
vided with  three  days'  rations  and  ordered  back  to 
Camp  Wichita,  under  charge  of  Sergeant  Louis 
Strupp.  On  the  second  day's  march  towards  the 
post  the  sergeant  saw  a  party  of  fifteen  Indians 
approaching.  He  concealed  his  detachment  and 
the  Indians  came  up  and  went  into  camp  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  away.  The  Indians  were  riding 
large  American  horses  and  driving  a  herd  of  about 
thirty  horses  and  ponies  along  with  them.  Sergeant 
Strupp  thought  the  horses  were  those  which  had 
been  stampeded  from  Captain  Tupper's  command 
and  determined  to  recapture  them.  Leaving  two 
with  the  pack  pony,  he  took  the  other  ten  men  and 
proceeded  down  a  small  ravine  and  up  the  creek 
to  where  the  Indians  had  halted  in  the  brush. 
When  within  about  eighty  yards  his  party  was  dis- 
covered   and    firing    began    on    both    sides.       The 


152  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

Indians  ran  to  their  horses,  mounted,  and  continued 
fighting  from  horseback  for  a  short  time.  Sergeant 
Strupp's  party  captured  five  American  horses  and 
other  property,  but  did  not  kill  any  of  the  Indians 
so  far  as  is  known. 

When  the  Indians  discovered  how  small  his  party 
was,  they  followed  and  harassed  him  all  the  next 
day.  He  reached  the  post  after  four  days'  march 
and  the  captured  horses  were  turned  in  and  subse- 
quently delivered  to  citizens  who  claimed  them. 

On  October  12th,  1870,  Lieutenant  W.  J.  Reese 
was  sent  with  a  detachment  of  the  reofiment  in 
in  charge  of  Indian  prisoners  to  efi'ect  an  exchange 
for  white  captives  in  the  hands  of  Indians  on  the 
Fort  Sill  reservation,  and  who  had  been  carried  off 
from  Texas.  This  was  a  shameless  species  of 
transaction  but  one  the  army  was  compelled  to 
adopt,  from  time  to  time,  to  save  unfortunate 
wom.en  who  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  savages 
and  whose  lives  would  have  been  sacrificed  in  any 
attempt  at  rescue. 

Captain  A.  R.  Chaffee  left  Fort  Richardson, 
November  12th,  on  a  scout,  and  on  the  14th,  soon 
after  going  into  camp  near  the  Belknap  road,  some 
cattle  were  observed  runninof  as  thouofh  beinof 
chased.  The  troops  stood  to  the  lariats  while  a 
Tonkawa  scout  jumped  on  his  horse  and  went  to 
ascertain  what  was    causing  the   commotion    in    the 


REGIMENT    ORDERED    TO    TEXAS.  I 53 

cattle  herd.  The  scout,  Anderson,  had  scarcely- 
disappeared  behind  a  sUght  elevation  when  a  shot 
was  fired.  The  troop  commenced  saddling  at 
once  and  Anderson  came  back  on  a  run  and  an- 
nounced that  he  had  seen  five  Comanches  on  the 
other  side  of  the  hill.  Captain  Chaffee  started 
immediately  with  two  Tonkawas,  two  guides  and 
seven  of  the  men,  who  had  saddled  quickly,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  struck  the  trail.  The  pursuit 
was  at  a  gallop  for  about  fifteen  miles  until  the 
Indians  were  overtaken,  but  unfortunately  this  did 
not  happen  until  dark.  The  five  Indians  had  been 
joined  by  seven  others.  The  running  fight  which 
took  place  was  of  short  duration,  the  Indians,  as 
usual,  scattering. 

The  detachment  returned  to  camp  about  nine 
o'clock  at  night.  Next  morning  the  troop  marched 
to  the  scene  of  the  fight  and  found  seven  ponies 
and  two  saddles  which  had  been  abandoned  by  the 
Indians  but  which  could  not  be  located  in  the  dark- 
ness the  night  before.  The  trail  was  followed  to 
Post  Oak  Creek  and  then  abandoned,  as  all  indi- 
cations showed  the  Indians  were  hastily  leaving 
the  country.  Several  other  trails,  not  many  days 
old,  were  crossed  during  the  pursuit. 

During  the  month  of  December,  1870,  a  number 
of  officers  were  ordered  from  Camp  Wichita  to 
P'ort  Richardson  for  duty  as  members  of  a  general 


154  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

court-martial.  Lieutenant  B.  H.  Mellen  made  the 
trip  alone  on  horseback.  The  journey  required  a 
ride  through  a  country  infested  with  Indians.  The 
weather  was  extremely  cold,  but  everything  went 
well  until  towards  evening  on  the  first  day  when 
he  reached  the  river,  which  was  swollen  by  recent 
floods  and  filled  with  floating  ice.  He  was  forced 
either  to  accept  a  plunge  into  the  icy  flood  or  return 
to  the  post  with  his  duty  unperformed. 

He  plunged  into  the  stream  and  the  brave  horse 
struck  out  and  swam  to  the  opposite  shore,  where, 
in  endeavoring  to  ascend  the  bank,  he  slipped  and 
fell  backwards  into  the  river.  Lieutenant  Mellen 
was  encumbered  with  his  overcoat,  riding  boots, 
and  pistols.  As  he  arose  to  the  surface  he  saw 
that  his  only  chance  for  life  was  to  float  with  the 
current  until  he  found  a  more  favorable  place  to 
reach  the  shore.  He  succeeded  finally  in  grasping 
an  overhanging  limb  and  drew  himself  out  of  the 
stream  to    the  bank. 

He  was  so  overcome  by  the  shock  and  exertion 
that,  when  safely  ashore  he  fell  insensible.  He 
remained  unconscious  until  late  in  the  night  when, 
upon  recovering,  he  found  his  horse  had  also  come 
out  of  the  river  and  was  standing  by  his  side.  He 
attempted  to  rise  and  mount,  but  learned  to  his 
consternation  that  his  feet  were  frozen  in  his  boots 
and  he  could  make   no  use  of  his   limbs  whatever. 


REGIMENT    ORDERED    TO    TEXAS.  T55 

He  attempted  again  and  again  to  rise,  but  his  efforts 
were  unavailing.  The  patient  horse  remained  by 
his  side  all  through  the  night,  the  next  day,  the 
second  night  and  the  second  day,  while  the  be- 
numbed sufferer  made  fruitless  efforts  to  mount. 

At  last  toward  evening  of  the  second  day  he 
was  able  to  grasp  the  stirrup  and  drag  himself  into 
the  saddle.  His  faithful  horse  bore  him  out  from 
the  river  bottom  on  to  the  prairie  where  he  discov- 
ered a  light  and  made  towards  it.  As  he  approached 
the  light  he  was  met  by  the  click  of  rifles  and  the 
demand  of  "Who's  there?"  He  was  confronted  with 
Winchesters  in  the  hands  of  hunters,  camped  near 
the  river.  He  announced  his  name  and  destination 
and  told  of  his  condition.  The  hunters  at  once 
took  him  off  his  horse  and  carried  him  into  the  hut. 
A  hasty  examination  showed  that  his  legs  were 
frozen  in  his  large  cavalry  boots  and  that  imme- 
diate professional  assistance  was  necessary  to  save 
his  life.  The  thermometer  at  this  time  reofistered 
ten  degrees  below  zero.  One  of  the  hunters 
hastily  mounted  and  hurried  off  to  Fort  Richard- 
son for  assistance.  The  surgeon  started  at  once 
with  the  ambulance,  and  upon  reaching  the  hunters' 
camp  found  Lieutenant  Mellen's  condition  so  much 
worse  that  it  was  necessary  to  return  immediately 
to  the  post  with  him  to  save  his  life. 

Upon  arriving  at  the  post  hospital  his  boots  were 


156 


FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 


cut  off  and  his  limbs  were  found  frozen  so  solid 
that  it  was  necessary  to  amputate  both  feet.  He 
still  grew  worse,  and  a  second  operation  had  to  be 
performed,  taking  off  more  of  his  legs.  His  condi- 
tion was  critical  for  some  time,  but  a  naturally 
strong  constitution  enabled  him  to  pull  through  the 
terrible  ordeal,  only  to  find  his  career  as  a  cav- 
alryman terminated  forever.  He  was  shortly  after 
placed  on  the  retired  list  of  the  army. 


^i^l^All 


mi   I  m 


ON    THE    PLAINS. 


157 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

On  the  Plains — Kansas  and   Indian  Territory- 


Lawlessness  IN  Texas — Cattle  Thieves — Camp  at  Fort  Hays — 
Indian  Depredations — Tupper  overtakes  Cheyenne  Raiders 
— Sergeant  Kohn  recovers  Stock  from  Indians — Mail  Party 
attacked — Major  Compton's  Escort  attacked  Twice — Indian 
Territory  Expedition  organized — Fight  near  Red  River — 
Sergeant  Woodall's  Gallant  Defense — Supply  Train  at- 
tacked— Surrender  of  Satanta  and  Big  Tree — Horse  Thieves 
— Overton's  Fight,  Staked  Plains — Rescue  of  Germain 
Girls — Sergeant  Ryan's  Fight,  North  Fork,  Red  River — 
Cheyenne  Outbreak — Henej^y  overtakes  Cheyennes,  Sappa 
Creek — Over  the  Santa  Fe  Trail  to  Arizona — Exchange 
Horses. 


(^N  the  spring  of  1871,  the  regiment 
was  ordered  to  change  station  to 
the  Department  of  the  Missouri, 
having  been  subjected  to  more  than 
five  years  of  duty  such  as  seldom 
or  never  has  fallen  to  the  lot  of 
civilized  soldiers  in  any  country. 
Ordered  direct  from  the  scenes  of 
the  great  civil  conflict  to  the  distant 
frontier  to  combat  a  savage  foe  unexcelled  in 
ability,  cunning  and  cruelty  by  any  other  tribes, 
save  perhaps  the  Apaches,  the  officers  and  men 
found  themselves  confronted  with  all  the  hatred  and 
bitterness  left  by  the  Civil  War  in  the  hearts  of  a 


158  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

people,  who  had  not  been  called  upon  to  suffer 
as  those  of  many  of  the  other  southern  States  had 
done.  Many  of  the  ex-Confederate  soldiers  had 
succumbed  to  the  inevitable  with  bad  grace,  and 
the  more  lawless  of  them  encouraged  a  hostile 
feeling  towards  the  very  men  who  were  daily 
exposing  their  lives  in  protecting  the  settlements. 
It  was  enough  to  contend  against  the  Indians,  but 
when,  by  ill-treatment  and  assassination  of  com- 
rades, the  men  were  finally  made  to  recognize  the 
contempt  in  which  the  community  held  them,  there 
was  short  shrift  for  the  lawless  guerrillas  who  were 
frequently  encountered. 

There  was  not  much  regret  in  the  regiment 
when  the  headquarters  and  troops  which  had  been 
assembled  at  Fort  Richardson,  moved  out  on  March 
20th,  1 87 1,  for  the  north.  The  command  arrived  at 
Fort  Sill,  April  ist,  and  within  a  few  days  the 
troops  destined  for  stations  in  Indian  Territory  and 
Kansas  started  to  their  various  posts. 

During  1871,  '72  and  '^2)^  the  troops  were  con- 
stantly scouting  in  the  vicinity  of  their  stations,  but 
no  serious  encounters  took  place.  Occasional  mail, 
or  other  escorts,  were  attacked  and  many  acts  of 
savagery  were  committed  at  widely  separated 
points  on  the  great  plains,  by  the  various  tribes 
inhabiting  the  country  between  British  America  and 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 


ON    THE    PLAINS.  1 59 

On  October  25th,  1873,  Lieutenant  J.  B.  Kerr, 
with  a  detachment  of  twenty-five  men,  attacked  and 
captured  a  party  of  eight  cattle  thieves  near  Little 
Cabin  Creek,  Texas,  recovering  seventy  horses  and 
two  hundred  head  of  cattle  which  had  been  stolen. 

A  large  portion  of  the  regiment  was  assembled 
in  camp  near  Fort  Hays,  from  which  point  the 
country  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Saline,  Solomon  and 
Republican  rivers  was  kept  thoroughly  patrolled 
with  scouting  parties.  Two  troops  had  been  sent 
to  Mississippi  and  Louisiana  for  the  much  de- 
spised reconstruction  duty  in  January,  1872,  but 
they  returned  in  1873  and  participated  in  the 
active  scouting  which  preceded  the  general  cam- 
paign against  the  hostiles  the  next  year. 

Settlers  were  pushing  into  Kansas  far  beyond 
the  safety  line,  and  daring  and  unprincipled  buffalo 
hunters  were  constantly  endangering  the  peace  of 
the  community  at  this  period.  The  pressure  of 
the  advancing  settlers,  coupled  with  the  rapid  dis- 
appearance of  the  buffalo  herds,  rendered  the 
preservation  of  peace  a  difficult  matter  during 
1871,  '72  and  'J2»  but  the  regiment  labored  faith- 
fully with  the  delicate  question.  To  sit  idly  by 
and  witness  the  disappearance  of  their  meat  sup- 
ply at  the  hands  of  the  heartless  skin-hunters  was 
beyond  the  endurance  of  the  Indians. 

The   war   parties    became    more    bold,   and    once 


l6o  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

more  "  bleeding"  Kansas  "  was  called  upon  to  suffer 
the  consequences  of  the  inevitable  conflict  between 
advancing"  civilization  and  the  doomed  Indians  ; 
a  conflict,  the  tides  of  which  have  rolled  back  and 
forth  across  plain  and  mountain  for  nearly  three 
centuries,  with  here  and  there  a  success  for  the 
red  men,  but  with  the  ultimate  result  always  the 
same  from  the  days  of  the  brave  Wampanoags  of 
New  England,  and  Powhatans,  of  Virginia,  down 
to  the  Sioux  at  Wounded  Knee. 

Even  before  the  grass  began  to  grow  in  the 
spring  of  1874,  the  Indians  on  the  reservations 
became  very  restless.  Up  to  this  time  a  custom 
had  existed  amongst  the  great  tribes  of  paying 
extended  visits  to  one  another.  On  March  12th, 
a  party  of  Southern  Cheyennes,  who  had  been  on 
a  six  months'  visit  to  the  Northern  Cheyennes 
and  Arapahoes,  passed  west  of  Fort  Dodge  en 
route  to  their  reservation,  and  before  reaching 
Camp  Supply,  Indian  Territory,  some  white  men 
stole  between  thirty  and  forty  of  their  ponies.  As 
soon  as  this  occurrence  was  reported,  troops  were 
ordered  out  as  a  precautionary  measure,  for,  judg- 
ing by  past  experience,  it  was  certain  that  the 
Indians  would  retaliate. 

Captain  T.  C.  Tupper,  with  G  troop,  left  Fort 
Dodge  April  6th,  and  on  the  loth  learned  that 
the  Indians  had  just  stolen  from  settlers,  near  Sun 


PLAINS    INDIAN,    1875. 


ON    THE    PLAINS.  l6l 

City,  Kansas,  twenty  horses  and  mules  and  fifty- 
two  head  of  cattle.  The  trail  was  immediately 
followed,  and,  after  a  pursuit  of  more  than  fifty 
miles,  the  party  was  overtaken  and  all  the  stock 
recovered.  In  the  fisfht  which  occurred,  a  son  of 
Little  Robe,  Chief  of  the  Cheyennes,  and  another 
Indian  were  wounded. 

On  June  14th  nine  Indians  made  a  dash  on  a 
ranch  in  the  Medicine  Lodge  country  and  ran  off 
some  stock.  Sergeant  S.  M.  Kohn,  Troop  G,  Sixth 
Cavalry,  who  happened  to  be  in  the  vicinity  with 
a  scouting  party,  took  up  the  pursuit  immediately, 
recovered  the  stock  and  captured  one  Indian  pony 
in  a  running  fight  of  two  miles. 

On  June  19th  the  Camp  Supply  mail  party  was 
attacked  and  the  non-commissioned  officer  in  chargfe 
wounded. 

Major  C.  E.  Compton,  Sixth  Cavalry,  accompanied 
by  the  Medical  Director  of  the  Department,  and  an 
escort  of  fifteen  men,  left  Fort  Dodge,  Kansas, 
on  June  20th  en  route  to  Camp  Supply,  Indian 
Territory.  At  the  crossing  of  the  Cimarron  river, 
the  party  was  joined  by  the  mail  escort  which  had 
been  attacked  the  preceding  day.  At  the  crossing 
of  Buffalo  Creek  on  June  21st,  while  passing  from 
the  bottom  through  a  gulch  to  the  high  prairie 
land,  a  war  party  of  twelve  or  fifteen  Indians 
opened  fire  on  the  detachment.  The  fire  was 
zi 


1 62  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

promptly  returned  and  the  men  advanced  in  skir- 
mish line,  drove  the  Indians  from  the  hills  and 
cleared  the  road  to  the  open  ground.  The  Indians 
withdrew,  and  the  party  proceeded  to  its  destination. 

Returning  from  Camp  Supply,  Major  Compton's 
party,  increased  to  twenty-two  men,  was  passing 
through  Beaver  Creek  hills  on  the  24th,  when  a 
volley  was  received  from  behind  a  knoll  at  a  dis- 
tance of  about  fifty  yards.  Every  one  was  on  the 
alert  and  a  skirmish  line  was  quickly  formed  facing 
the  fire.  The  order  to  charge  was  given,  and  the 
men  made  a  gallant  rush  for  the  crest  of  the  hill, 
which  they  gained,  and  drove  twenty-five  or  thirty 
Cheyennes  from  their  position.  The  Indians  re- 
treated into  the  neighboring  ravines,  where  their 
ponies  were  secreted,  but  were  finally  driven  out 
on  to  the  open  ground  where  they  continued  for 
some  time  to  fire  from  longf  rang-e.  Four  Indians 
were  killed  and  five  ponies  captured  without  the 
loss  of  a  soldier. 

On  July  5th,  I  St  Lieutenant  L.  A.  Abbott,  with  a 
detachment,  scouting  from  Fort  Dodge,  chased  a 
small  party  of  Indians  about  twelve  miles. 

From  day  to  day  reports  came  from  widely 
separated  localities  of  theft,  rapine  and  murder  by 
the  Indians.  Trains  were  attacked,  ranches  looted, 
and  women  and  children  carried  away  into  captivity. 
It  had  now  become  evident  to  the  authorities   that 


ON    THE    PLAINS.  1 63 

desultory  scouting  and  chasing  war  parties,  which 
had  knowledge  of  pursuit,  were  equally  unprofitable. 
Expeditions  were  organized  all  over  the  west,  and 
this  was  the  beginning  of  the  final  collapse  of 
Indian  power  for  sustained  hostilities.  For  the 
work  on  the  southern  plains,  expeditions  were  or- 
ganized in  Texas,  New  Mexico  and  Kansas.  Active 
scouting  began  with  large  columns  and  the  Indians 
were  pursued  without  intermission  until  the  cam- 
paign of  1874-5  so  completely  paralyzed  the  hostiles 
that  they  abandoned  their  belligerent  attitude,  fled 
from  their  familiar  hiding  places  in  the  Pan  Handle 
and  sought  the  protection  of  the  agencies. 

During  the  month  of  August,  1874,  the  expedi- 
tion with  which  the  Sixth  operated,  took  the  field. 
Troops  A,  D,  F,  G,  H,  I,  L  and  M  were  organized 
into  two  battalions  under  the  command  of  Majors 
C.  E.  Compton  and  James  Biddle,  and  joined  Col- 
onel N.  A.  Miles'  command. 

On  the  evening  of  August  26th,  a  large  trail 
was  found  near  the  Sweetwater.  The  trail  con- 
stantly grew  larger  through  accessions  of  Indians, 
presumably  from  the  agencies.  Being  delayed  by 
the  inability  of  the  train  to  move  rapidly  through 
the  sand,  rations  and  reserve  ammunition  were 
issued  and  the  command  pushed  ahead,  leaving 
the  wagons  to  follow. 

On  the  morning  of   the    30th,  when  moving  over 


164  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

a  plain  about  twelve  miles  from  Red  river,  the 
advance  guard  was  charged  by  about  two  hundred 
Indians,  who  came  so  close  that  one  scout  was 
wounded  by  a  spear  thrust.  When  driven  off,  the 
Indians  retreated  to  a  line  of  hills  and  joined  their 
main  body.  The  Indians  numbered  from  four  to 
six  hundred  warriors  and  took  up  a  position  along 
a  broken  line  of  bluffs,  interspersed  with  deep 
ravines.  The  troops  were  deployed  in  line,  with 
but  a  small  reserve,  and  moved  forward  to  the 
attack,  advancing  from  crest  to  crest  and  driving 
the  Indians  from  every  position  they  took  up. 

Captain  Chaffee  led  his  troop  in  a  gallant  charge, 
using  pistols,  and  later  Major  Compton's  battalion 
charged  up  a  hill,  the  crest  of  which  was  about  two 
hundred  feet  high,  and  carried  the  position.  The 
Indians  at  first  showed  some  bravery,  but  the  de- 
termined nature  of  the  attack  whenever  they  made 
a  stand,  caused  a  change  of  tactics,  and  they  drew 
back  to  very  long  range. 

They  made  a  final  stand  on  the  right  bank  of 
Red  river,  on  a  high  bluff.  The  location  was  very 
strong,  as  only  two  men  could  advance  up  the  trail 
abreast.  Captain  Tupper  led  his  troop  up  the  rug- 
ged ascent,  the  bugles  sounding  the  charge,  and 
the  Indians  again  fled.  The  fight  had  lasted  over 
five  hours  and  from  the  first  to  last  position  had 
extended  over   twelve   miles.      As    they   abandoned 


ON    THE    PLAINS.  1 65 

the  field,  the  smoke  of  their  burning  villages  could 
be  seen  in  the  rear  of  their  line.  Immediate 
pursuit  began  across  Red  river  and  up  the  Tule, 
through  the  deserted  villages,  and  for  over  a  hun- 
dred miles  their  trail  was  strewn  with  broken-down 
ponies  and  abandoned  property. 

The  Indians  killed  buffaloes  to  obtain  water-sacks 
and  made  for  the  Staked  Plains.  The  dead  Indians, 
lodges,  arrows  and  moccasins  found  along  the  trail 
indicated  that  the  Kiowas,  Comanches  and  Chey- 
ennes  had  come  together  in  this  campaign. 

The  command,  including  both  men  and  horses, 
suffered  from  the  heat  as  well  as  thirst ;  there  was 
little  water  to  be  had,  and  that  obtained  was  gen- 
erally so  alkaline  as  to  be  unfit  for  use  and  caused 
much  sickness.  It  was  determined,  however,  to  con- 
tinue in  the  field,  and  supplies  were  ordered  to  be 
forwarded. 

Two  parties  were  sent  from  the  battle-field  to 
Camp  Supply,  Indian  Territory,  with  dispatches  for 
supplies,  one  of  which  was  under  the  charge  of 
Sergeant  Z.  T.  Woodall,  of  Troop  I,  Sixth  Cavalry.='= 
This  one  was  attacked  by  Indians,  and  the  follow- 
ing letter,  written  by  General  Miles,  tells  the  story 
of  this  remarkable  fight : 

*  Sergeant  Woodall  continued  to  render  valuable  service  for  many 
years  as  ist  Sergeant  of  I  Troop,  and  only  recently  (1899)  <^^^<^  ^^ 
his  post  of  duty  as  Ordnance  Sergeant,   in  Havana,   Cuba. 


1 66  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

"  Adjutant-General,  U.  S.  Army. 

General: — I  deem  it  but  a  duty  to  brave  men  and  faithful 
soldiers,  to  bring  to  the  notice  of  the  highest  military  authority 
an  instance  of  indomitable  courage,  skill,  and  true  heroism 
on  the  part  of  a  detachment  from  this  command,  with  the 
request  that  the  actors  be  rewarded,  and  their  faithfulness  and 
bravery  recognized  by  pensions,  medals  of  honor,  or  in  such 
way  as  may  be  deemed  most  fitting. 

On  the  night  of  the  loth  instant  a  party  consisting  of  Ser- 
geant Z.  T.  Woodall,  Troop  I;  Privates  Peter  Roth,  Troop 
A;  John  Harrington,  Troop  H,  and  George  W.  Smith,  Troop 
M,  6th  Cavalry;  Scouts  Amos  Chapman  and  William  Dixon, 
were  sent  as  bearers  of  dispatches  from  the  camp  of  this  com- 
mand on  McLellan  Creek,  Texas,  to  Camp  Supply,  Indian 
Territory.  At  six  a.  m.,  on  the  12th,  when  approaching 
Washita  River,  they  were  met  and  surrounded  by  a  band  of 
125  Kiowas  and  Comanches,  who  had  recently  left  their 
agency,  and  at  the  first  attack  all  were  struck,  Private  Smith 
mortally,  and  all  the  others  severely  wounded. 

Although  enclosed  on  all  sides,  and  by  overwhelming  num- 
bers, one  of  them  succeeded,  while  they  were  under  a  severe 
fire  at  short  range,  and  while  the  others  with  their  rifles  were 
keeping  the  Indians  at  bay,  in  digging  with  his  knife  and 
hands  a  slight  cover.  After  this  had  been  secured  they  placed 
themselves  within  it;  the  wounded  walking  with  brave  and 
painful  eflforts,  and  Private  Smith,  though  he  had  received 
a  mortal  wound,  sitting  upright  in  the  trench  to  conceal  the 
crippled  condition  of  their  party  from  the  Indians. 

From  early  morning  till  dark,  outnumbered  twenty-five  to 
one,  under  an  almost  constant  fire,  and  at  such  short  range 
that  they  sometimes  used  their  pistols,  retaining  the  last 
charge  to  prevent  capture  and  torture,  this  little  party  of  five 
defended  their  lives  and  the  person  of  their  dying  comrade, 
without  food  and  their  only  drink  the  rain  water  that  col- 
lected in  a  pool,  mingled  with  their  own  blood.  There  is  no 
doubt  but  that  they  killed  more  than  double  their  number, 
besides  those  that  were  wounded.  The  Indians  abandoned 
the  attack  at  dark  on  the  12th. 


ON    THE    PLAINS.  167 

The  exposure  and  distance  from  the  command,  which  were 
necessary  incidents  of  their  duty,  were  such  that  for  thirty-six 
hours  from  the  first  attack  their  condition  could  not  be  known, 
and  not  till  midnight  of  the  13th  could  they  receive  medical 
attendance  or  food;  exposed  during  this  time  to  an  incessant 
cold  storm.  Sergeant  Woodall,  Private  Harrington  and  Scout 
Chapman  were  seriously  wounded;  Private  Roth  and  Scout 
Dixon  were  struck  but  not  disabled. 

The  simple  recital  of  their  deeds  and  the  mention  of  the 
odds  against  which  they  fought;  how  the  wounded  defended 
the  dying,  and  the  dying  aided  the  wounded  by  exposure  to 
fresh  wounds  after  the  power  of  action  was  gone,  these  alone 
present  a  scene  of  cool  courage,  heroism  and  self-sacrifice, 
which  duty  as  well  as  inclination  prompts  us  to  recognize, 
but  which  we  cannot  fitly  honor. 

(Signed)         N.  A.  Miles, 

Brevet  Major-General." 

Lieutenant  Frank  West  with  20  men  of  the  Sixth, 
was  sent  with  Captain  Lyman,  Fifth  Infantry,  and 
his  company,  from  camp  with  a  wagon  train  to 
meet  the  out-coming  train  and  bring  the  suppHes 
to  the  front.  The  train  was  found  September  7th, 
when  Lieutenant  West's  detachment  was  increased 
by  seven  men  coming  out  to  join  the  regiment. 
The  stores  were  transferred  in  a  violent  storm,  and 
the  return  march  begun,  when  the  Indians  appeared 
and  killed  and  scalped  a  teamster  who  had  wan- 
dered off  a  short  distance.  The  train  was  followed, 
and  on  the  9th  the  attack  of  the  Indians,  about  250 
in  number,  commenced. 

The  train  had  just   emerged   from   a   deep  ravine 


1 68  FROM    YORKTOWN   TO    SANTIAGO. 

when  the  Indians  charged  the  rear  fiercely,  riding- 
to  within  lOO  yards  and  shooting  down  Lieutenant 
Lewis  and  Sergeant  Armour,  Fifth  Infantry.  The 
train  was  corralled  a  mile  or  more  north  of  the 
Washita  river  for  the  ensuing  fight,  which  lasted 
four  days.  A  scout  was  sent  through  to  Camp 
Supply,  being  chased  on  the  way,  and  returned 
with  Troop  K,  Sixth  Cavalry,  and  medical  assist- 
ance for  the  wounded,  who  had  endured  great 
suffering  during  the  four  days'  fighting  and  exposure 
without  food  or  water. 

Whilst  the  attack  on  the  train  was  in  progress,  a 
misty  rainstorm  came  on,  during  which  the  Indians 
withdrew  from  one  flank,  and  soon  after  a  column 
of  mounted  men  were  discovered  moving  by. 
Scouts  were  sent  out  and  returned  saying  the 
column  was  a  body  of  Indians,  but  it  subsequently 
developed  that  it  was  Major  Price's  battalion  of  the 
Eighth  Cavalry,  which  had  come  towards  the  sound 
of  the  firing  and  passed  by  in  ignorance  of  its 
proximity  to  the  besieged  train. 

About  this  time  the  Indians  made  a  raid  and 
carried  off  a  white  boy  from  the  vicinity  of  Buffalo 
station,  west  of  Fort  Hays.  Lieutenants  J.  B. 
Kerr  and  J.  A.  Rucker,  with  twenty  men,  took  the 
trail  and  pursued  for  six  days,  crossing  the  Solo- 
mon, Saline  and  Smoky  Hill  rivers,  compelling  the 
Indians  to  abandon  much  of  their  plunder.     Before 


ON    THE    PLAINS.  1 69 

the  Indians  scattered,  they  shot  the  boy  through 
the  heart  and  left  his  body  on  the  trail. 

On  October  loth,  Major  Compton,  with  two 
troops,  intercepted  a  body  of  Indians  fleeing  north 
before  troops  advancing  from  Texas,  pursued  them 
throuofh  the  sand  hills  for  more  than  a  hundred 
miles  and  drove  them  back  south  of  the  Canadian 
river. 

On  October  4th,  1874,  Colonel  Neill  reported 
the  surrender  of  the  celebrated  chiefs  Satanta  and 
Big  Tree,  with  many  lodges  of  Kiowas,  but  they 
gave  the  unwelcome  information  that  a  part  of  the 
tribe  had  gone  with  the  Comanches  to  the  Staked 
Plains.  These  latter  were  the  Indians  who  attacked 
the  supply  train  September  9th. 

Horse  thieves  took  advantage  of  the  unsettled 
condition  of  affairs  to  ply  their  nefarious  trade,  and 
Lieutenant  Hanna  with  ten  men  of  Troop  B  was 
sent  from  Fort  Dodge  on  November  4th  in  pursuit 
of  a  band.  It  was  overtaken  on  the  9th  and  in  the 
fight  which  lasted  two  hours.  Private  Skelton  was 
wounded,  Lieutenant  Hanna's  horse  killed,  two 
thieves  wounded  and  twelve  horses  and  mules  re- 
covered. 

On  November  8th,  1874,  Lieutenant  Overton 
with  Troop  D,  Sixth  Cavalry,  and  Company  D, 
Fifth  Infantry,  all  under  Lieutenant  Baldwin,  struck 
a  large  village  of  Cheyennes    north   of  McLellan's 


170  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

Creek  and  drove  them  out  on  the  Staked  Plains. 
Major  Compton  went  with  Troop  H,  Sixth  Cavalry, 
to  the  assistance  of  these  troops,  but  the  pace  was 
so  rapid  he  did  not  arrive  until  the  fighting  was 
practically  over.  Two  captive  white  girls,  Adelaide 
and  Julia  Germain,  were  rescued  during  this  engage- 
ment. 

The  story  of  the  Germain  family  is  a  most  pathetic 
one,  and,  as  the  regiment  was  instrumental  in  the 
recovery  of  the  four  girls,  the  tale  of  their  capture 
and  rescue  may  properly  find  a  place  here. 

This  family  was  travelling  through  Kansas,  en 
route  from  Georgia  to  Colorado,  when  they  were 
attacked  by  Cheyennes  near  Smoky  Hill  river. 
The  father,  mother,  brother  and  one  sister  were 
killed.  Two  young  girls,  five  and  seven  years  of 
age,  and  two  grown  girls,  were  carried  off  to  the 
Cheyenne  village.  A  knowledge  of  these  facts  was 
obtained  from  the  two  little  girls  recovered  in  the 
fio^ht  of  November  8th.  The  two  children  were 
taken  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  and  Congress  directed, 
in  the  appropriation  act  for  support  of  the  Chey- 
ennes, that  $2500  be  deducted  for  each  child  and 
placed  to  their  credit  in  the  Treasury  at  five  per 
cent,  and  that  the  interest  be  used  for  their  sup- 
port until  they  should  reach  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  when  the  principal  should  be  paid  to  them. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Thomas  H.   Neill,  Sixth  Cav- 


ON    THE    PLAINS.  I7I 

airy,  commanding  a  camp  near  Cheyenne  agency, 
sent  an  Indian  runner  to  Stone  Calf's  village  with 
this  note  on  January  20th,   1875  : 

"  To  Katherine  Elizabeth  or  to  Sophia  Louisa  Germain, 
white  women  now  in  the  hands  of  the  hostile  Cheyennes  with 
Grey  Beard  or  Stone  Calf.  I  send  you  these  few  lines  to  tell 
you  that  your  younger  sisters,  Juliana  and  Nancy,  are  safe 
and  well  and  have  been  sent  home  to  Georgia.  Your  sad 
captivity  is  known  all  over  the  country  and  every  effort  to 
obtain  your  release  will  be  made.  Read  this  note  to  Stone 
Calf  or  Grey  Beard,  and  say  to  Stone  Calf  that  his  message 
asking  peace  has  been  received,  and  that  I  will  receive  him  and 
his  band  upon  condition  that  he  shall  send  you  and  your  sister 
in  first,  and  then  he  can  come  in  with  his  band  and  give  him- 
self up  to  the  mercy  of  the  Government,  and  I  will  receive 
him.  I  send  you  with  this,  pencil  and  paper.  Write  me 
Stone  Calf's  answer,  and  anything  else  you  may  desire;  I 
think  the  Indians  will  make  no  objection." 

Stone  Calf's  villasfe  had  been  located  on  the 
Staked  Plains,  near  the  Pecos  river,  but  on  Feb- 
ruary 14th,  1875,  ^^  moved  to  near  Custer's  old 
battle-ground.  Two  more  troops  were  added  to 
Colonel  Neill's  command  in  order  that  he  might 
force  a  surrender,  but,  by  the  exercise  of  patience, 
the  unhappy  captive  girls  were  rescued  without  a 
fight,  and  this  was  followed,  on  February  26th,  by 
Stone  Calf's  surrender  with   1600  Cheyennes. 

The  condition  of  the  two  Germain  girls  was 
pitiable  in  the  extreme.  They  declined  being  sent 
to    Georgia,   stating   that    they  had   no    relatives   or 


172  FROM    YORKTOWN   TO    SANTIAGO. 

associations  there  to  take  them  back,  and  desired 
to  go  to  school  somewhere  in  Kansas.  They  were 
sent  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  where  they  were  taken 
charge  of  by  a  worthy  family.  Their  subsequent 
history  is  unknown. 

On  December  ist,  Captain  Chaffee  made  a  night 
march  to  surprise  a  party  of  Indians  reported  to 
be  on  a  branch  of  the  North  Fork  of  Red  river, 
but  the  Indians  received  warning  and  decamped  in 
great  haste.  ist  Sergeant  Ryan,  Troop  I,  with  a 
detachment,  pursued  and  overtook  them  at  day- 
light, December  2nd,  attacked  and  routed  them, 
capturing  their  ponies,  about  seventy  in  number, 
which  were  mostly  saddled  and  packed. 

The  campaign  was  continued  far  into  the  winter, 
the  last  movement  on  the  Staked  Plains  being 
executed  in  intensely  cold  weather,  the  thermometer 
registering  at  times  twenty-five  degrees  below  zero, 
and  "  Northers  "  prevailing  almost  incessantly.  The 
Indians  were  fought  in  nine  engagements,  and  were 
so  harassed  during  this  campaign  that  they  were 
unable  to  commit  their  usual  depredations.  After 
continuous  pursuit  they  went  into  the  agencies  and 
surrendered  in  a  greatly  impoverished  condition, 
and  have  never  regained  their  old  war  spirit. 

The  experience  derived  in  this  campaign,  found 
expression  in  the  following  words  from  General 
Miles  : 


ON    THE    PLAINS.  I  73 

"  For  long  and  rapid  pursuit  of  an  enterprising  enemy, 
frequently  without  grazing,  with  poor  water,  the  strength  of 
the  cavalry  and  animals  must  be  preserved,  or  it  results  in  a 
few  weeks  campaigning  and  several  months  remounting  and 
recuperating.  Hence,  I  would  prefer  for  effective  and  con- 
tinuous compaigning,  two  companies  of  cavalry,  supplied 
with  the  regulation  allowance  of  short  forage,  to  eight  com- 
panies, starved  for  want  of  grain  or  weighed  down  by  a 
superabundance  of  grass,  especially  when  the  command  is 
expected  to  capture  or  exhaust  the  thousands  of  hardy  ponies 
that  afford  the  Indians  convenient  and  valuable  relays. 
Desultory  scouting,  often  made  without  positive  design  and 
with  less  result,  has  a  tiresome,  exhaustive  and  injurious  in- 
fluence upon  the  cavalry.  Friendly  Indians  or  daring  scouts 
can  be  more  economically  employed  to  hunt  for  the  hostile 
camps,  discover  trails  or  movements  of  Indians,  and  cavalry 
saved  for  the  direct  march,  resistless  dash  and  rapid  pursuit 
for  which  that  arm  of  the  service  is  so  well  adapted." 

Peace  prevailed  until  spring,  but  on  April  6th, 
1875,  Captain  Rafferty's  Troop  M  was  engaged  near 
the  Cheyenne  agency  from  3  p.  m.,  until  dark  with 
about  150  Cheyennes.  Nine  Indians  were  killed, 
four  soldiers  wounded,  and  nine  troop  horses  killed 
or  wounded. 

A  party  of  Cheyennes  took  the  trail  for  the  north, 
and,  having  been  seen  crossing  the  railroad,  Lieu- 
tenant Austin  Henely  with  forty  men  of  Troop  H, 
Sixth  Cavalry,  was  sent  by  rail  to  Wallace,  Kansas, 
and  left  there  April  19th  to  strike  the  trail  south- 
east of  the  post.  The  trail  was  followed  rapidly 
for  over  a  hundred  miles  to  Sappa  Creek,  in 
northern  Kansas,  where  the  Indians  were  overtaken 


174  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

at  daylight  on  April  23d.  A  portion  of  the  Indians 
escaped,  but  the  others  took  cover  in  some  holes 
and  fought  to  the  bitter  end.  Nineteen  warriors 
were  killed  and  one  hundred  and  thirty-four  ponies 
captured,  with  a  loss  of  two  men  of  Troop  H, 
Sergeant  Papier  and  Private  Theims. 

A  commendatory  order  was  published  a  few  days 
later  which  contains  this  paragraph : 

"  The  Department  Commander  feels  justified  in  saying  that 
no  better  managed  affair  has  occurred  in  this  Department 
for  many  years,  and  he  commends  it  to  the  emulation  of  all 
as  a  brilliant  example  of  intelligent  enterprise,  rare  zeal  and 
sound  judgment  in  the  discharge  of  duty." 

After  a  brief  period  of  active  scouting,  the  regi- 
ment proceeded  to  relieve  the  Fifth  Cavalry  in 
Arizona,  the  order  having  been  issued  the  preced- 
ing year  and  suspended  on  account  of  the  Indian 
troubles.  The  order  relieving  the  regiment  from 
duty  in  the  Department  of  the  Missouri  contained 
the  followine : 


'fc> 


"  The  Sixth  Cavalry  entered  this  Department  from  the 
Department  of  Texas  in  the  summer  of  the  year  1871,  and 
since  that  time  has  been  actively  employed  in  patrolling  the 
country,  protecting  the  frontier  settlers,  and  scouting  against 
hostile  Indians. 

Its  patrol  duty  has  been  such  as  required  great  judgment 
and  discrimination  to  keep  the  peace  between  the  settlers  and 
the  Indians,  and  its  scouts  have  been  attended  with  great 
hardship,  exposure  and  suffering. 

The  Department  Commander  is  glad  to  have  this  oppor- 


ON    THE    PLAINS.  1 75 

ttinity  to  say  that  these  duties  have  been  performed  by  the 
regiment  with  much  skill  and  efficiency,  to  their  own  honor 
and  to  the  best  interests  of  the  service." 

The  first  half  of  the  regiment,  with  the  head- 
quarters and  band,  assembled  during  May  and 
marched  under  the  command  of  Captain  McLellan 
from  Fort  Lyon,  Colorado.  The  march  was  made 
in  a  leisurely  way  over  the  route  known  as  the 
old  "  Santa  Fe  trail,"  to  Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico, 
where  the  first  half  of  the  Fifth  Cavalry  was  met. 
The  headquarters  of  the  Eighth  Cavalry  was  at 
Santa  Fe  at  this  time,  and  the  three  bands  made 
the  Plaza  of  this  ancient  town  attractive  for  several 
days.  It  required  more  than  music,  however,  to 
lighten  the  hearts  of  the  Sixth  cavalrymen,  for  they 
were  subjected  to  the  pangs  of  exchanging  their 
handsome  American  horses  for  the  "  broncos," 
brought  from  Arizona  by  the  Fifth.  Before  the 
regiment  completed  its  long  tour  of  service  in 
Arizona,  however,  the  men  learned  to  respect  the 
tough  little  horses  that  were  able  to  keep  in  the 
field  indefinitely,  living  on  such  grazing  as  they 
could  obtain  while  in  the  night  herd,  and  during 
the  halts  along  the  trail. 

When  Albuquerque  was  reached,  two  troops  took 
the  road  for  northern  Arizona,  and  the  others  con- 
tinued down  the  Rio  Grande  valley  and  across 
through    Apache    Pass  to    stations  in    southern  Ari- 


176 


FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 


zona.  Upon  arrival  of  troops  at  their  new  stations, 
the  remaining  troops  of  the  Fifth  Cavalry  were 
relieved  and  proceeded  east,  meeting  the  second 
half  of  the  Sixth  at  Fort  Union,  New  Mexico,  where 
a  similar  exchange  of  horses  was  effected  as  that 
which  took  place  at  Santa  Fe  between  the  troops 
of  the  first  half  of  each  regiment. 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF   THE    APACHES.  I  77 

CHAPTER    IX. 

Arizona — The  Land  of  the  Apaches. 

Nature  of  Country — Methods  of  Warfare — Use  of  Scouts — 
Narrow  Escape — Attack  on  Fort  Apache — Chiricauhua  Out- 
BREx\K — Indian  Situation — Concentration  of  Regiment — 
Removal  to  San  Carlos — Scouts  after  Tontos — Rucker's 
Fight,  Leidendorf  Range — Capture  of  Geronimo's  Nephew — 
Raid  on  San  Carlos — Warm  Springs  Indians  leave  Reserva- 
tion— Pursued  and  Running  Fight — Construction  of  Mili- 
tary Telegraph  Lines — Rucker  overtakes  Raiding  Party — 
Concentration  of  Indian  Scouts,  Mexican  Border — Not 
permitted  to  cross — Drowning  of  Lieutenants  Henely  and 
Rucker — More  Army  than  Navy  Officers  drowned — Per- 
rine's  Fight — Victorio — Troops  sent  to  aid  in  New  Mexico 
— McLellan  rescues  Troop  Ninth  Cavalry — Lost  in  Desert 
— Victorio's  Raid  toward  San  Carlos — Kramer's  Fight — 
Renegades  driven  from  Arizona — Madden  finds  many  mur- 
dered Settlers — Chiricauhuas  defiant — Combined  Action 
against  Victorio — Driven  to  Chihuahua — Surrounded — 
Annihilated  by  Mexican  Troops — White  Mountain  Tribe 
display  Fanaticism — Cibicu  Fight — Attack  on  Fort  Apache 
— Opening  Communication — Reinforcements — Active  Scout- 
ing— Driving  Malcontents  to  Reservation — Chiricauhuas 
leave  Reservation — Cedar  Springs  Fight — Pursuit  to  Mex- 
ican Border — Loco's  Band  leaves  Reservation — Tupper's 
Pursuit  and  Fight — Ambuscade  of  Mexicans — Extermination 
— White  Mountain  Outbreak — Difficult  Fight,  Big  Dry 
Wash — Remarkable  concentration  of  Scouting  Columns — 
General  Crook's  Expedition  Sierra  Madre — Marches. 

J^ON  arrival  of  all  the  regiment  in 
the  Department  of  Arizona  the 
troops  were  widely  distributed,  B 
going  with  headquarters  to  Fort 
Lowell,  near  the  old  town  of  Tuc- 
son ;  A  and  D  to  Fort  Apache, 
on   the   reservation   of  the  White 

Mountain    Apaches  ;    C,   G  and    M   to   Fort  Grant ; 

E  and   I   to   Fort  Verde  ;    H  to   Fort  Bowie  ;    L  to 


178  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

Camp  San  Carlos,  this  being  the  location  of  the 
Indian  agency  for  the  Apaches,  Apache-Mojaves 
and  Apache-Yumas  ;  K  to  Fort  McDowell,  and  F 
to  Fort  Whipple.  A  glance  at  the  map  will  show 
what  a  very  thin  spreading  of  protection  this  dis- 
tribution afforded  the  people  of  Arizona  from  the 
raids  of  the  Apache — a  name  synonymous  in  the 
southwest  with  all  that  is  cunning  and  devilish. 

Arizona  is  an  immense  expanse  of  country,  much 
of  it  covered  with  rough  and  broken  mountain 
chains — the  southern  spurs  of  the  Rockies.  The 
western  part  contains  immense  deserts,  and  neither 
Indians  nor  settlers  undertook  to  extract  a  livinsf 
from  such  parched  and  uninviting  sand  wastes. 

The  history  of  the  Apaches  is  shrouded  in  much 
uncertainty.  The  whole  face  of  the  country  is  filled 
with  the  remains  of  villages  occupied  by  a  people  of 
an  entirely  different  nature,  and,  in  all  probability, 
akin  to  the  scattered  Pueblo  Indians  of  to-day.  The 
cliff-dwellers  left  many  strange  abodes  in  almost 
every  watered  cafion  and  the  foundations  and 
walls  of  many  of  their  valley  locations  indicate  a 
large  population  in  olden  times.  All  settlers  well 
acquainted  with  the  habits  of  the  various  tribes, 
unite  in  the  belief  that  the  disappearance  of  the 
old  dwellers  in  Arizona  is  traceable  to  the  incessant 
warfare  of  the  Apaches.  It  was  against  these  ab- 
solutely wild  Indians  that  the  regiment  was  destined 
to  be  pitted  for  more  than  ten  years. 


ARIZONA — THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  I  79 

The  records  of  the  War  Department  show  that 
between  January  ist,  1866,  and  May,  1875,  when 
the  Sixth  was  ordered  to  duty  in  Arizona,  two 
hundred  and  seventeen  fights  had  occurred  between 
troops  and  Indians  within  the  limits  of  the  terri- 
tory. The  number  of  attacks  made  upon  ranches, 
wagon  trains,  stage  coaches  and  travelers,  can  only 
be  conjectured. 

The  character  of  Arizona  was  entirely  in  favor 
of  the  Apaches,  whose  lives  had  been  devoted  to 
overcoming  the  natural  obstacles  of  an  inhospitable 
country.  The  Indians  had  learned  to  utilize  much 
in  nature  that  was  unknown  to  the  whites,  and 
they  were  so  accustomed  to  exposure  that  sudden 
changes  from  snow-covered  mountains  to  parched 
sand  deserts  affected  them  but  little,  if  at  all. 
Travelling  without  baggage,  and  able  to  cover  when 
hard  pressed,  from  fifty  to  seventy  miles  on  foot 
within  twenty-four  hours,  they  constituted  most 
formidable  enemies.  Their  food  consisted  of  game, 
baked  mescal  root,  which  is  very  palatable  and  not 
unlike  sweet  potato,  grass  seed  and  other  wild 
productions  of  that  strange  land. 

With  a  supply  of  food  which  would  not  furnish 
a  meal  for  a  soldier,  an  Apache  would  go  upon  a 
distant  raid,  trusting  to  luck  and  his  knowledge  of 
nature's  foods  that  he  might  not  suffer.  His  ability 
to  crawl  stealthily  upon  his  enemy,  to  conceal  him- 


l8o  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

self  with  a  few  handfuls  of  grass,  to  deliver  his 
fire  and  disappear  as  from  the  face  of  the  earth, 
characterizes  him  as  an  enemy  who  must  be  guarded 
against  incessantly.  Often  the  watchful  traveler, 
with  gun  in  hand,  has  been  allowed  to  pass  safely 
through  an  Apache  ambuscade,  for  they  rarely 
attacked  unless  they  could  do  so  without  injury  to 
themselves. 

The  manner  in  which  Apaches  concealed  their 
rude  "  wicky-ups,"  consisting  of  bent  boughs  covered 
with  brush,  together  with  their  wary  and  watchful 
natures,  made  their  capture  almost  impossible  to 
white  men.  Success  was  only  attained  ordinarily 
when  Indian  scouts  were  sent  out  to  locate  the  hid- 
ing places  in  advance.  Then  the  scouts,  with  a 
detachment  of  soldiers  and  a  pack  train,  would  pro- 
ceed by  night  marches  to  the  vicinity.  The  train 
would  be  concealed  and  food  prepared  after  dark 
when  the  smoke  of  fires  would  not  rise  in  the  usually 
clear  atmosphere  to  give  warning.  With  rations 
on  their  backs,  the  scouts  and  dismounted  cavalry- 
men would  then  walk  and  crawl  to  positions  sur- 
rounding the  "  rancheria "  and  wait  for  daylight. 
On  the  approach  of  dawn,  at  the  first  sign  of  life, 
the  firing  would  begin  and  be  continued  until  every 
"  buck "  or  warrior  was  killed.  The  scouts  never 
took  prisoners  except  women  and  children.  As  all 
Indians  understood  this  there  was    always    a   break 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF   THE    APACHES.  161 

for  cover  and  a  fight  for  life.  There  were  occas- 
ional escapes,  but  usually  if  the  "  rancheria "  was 
surrounded  before  discovery,  annihilation  of  the 
"  bucks  "  followed. 

It  was  the  opinion  generally  of  those  most 
experienced  in  Apache  warfare,  that,  if  the  gov- 
ernment had  failed  to  take  advantage  of  tribal 
animosities,  Arizona  would  have  remained  as  unde- 
veloped to-day  as  it  was  when  acquired  by  the 
United  States.  The  fighting  propensities  of  the 
Apaches  were  turned  to  account  by  first  employing 
one  tribe  against  another,  and  later  on  the  develop- 
ment of  the  Indian  scout  system  reached  such  a  point 
that  they  were  frequently  employed  against  their 
own  people.  These  scouts  pursued  their  own 
kindred  with  the  unerring  instincts  of  the  blood- 
hound, and  when  overtaken  killed  them  as  remorse- 
lessly as  they  would  have  done  their  white  enemies. 
It  was  only  through  the  presence  and  influence  of 
officers  and  soldiers  that  women  and  children  were 
spared.  Their  savage  natures  may  be  comprehended 
when  it  is  known  that  in  one  instance  a  scout,  hav- 
ing learned  that  his  father  had  been  proclaimed  an 
outlaw,  went  into  the  mountains  and  killed  him, 
hoping  to  secure  a  reward. 

Comparative  quiet  reigned  during  the  summer 
while  the  regiment  was  marching  in,  but  it  was  not 
long  before  the  marauding  bands  began  their  usual 


152  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

deviltry,  which  continued  at  intervals  during  all  the 
years  the  regiment  was  stationed  in  that  country. 

During  the  early  part  of  December,  1875,  a  party 
of  White  Mountain  Apaches  made  a  raid  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  Fort  Verde,  destroying  a 
sheep  herder's  camp  in  the  valley  below,  and  then 
struck  the  stage  road  between  the  post  and  depart- 
ment headquarters,  at  the  head  of  Copper  Canon, 
just  after  an  ambulance,  containing  the  Adjutant- 
General,  Inspector-General  and  Medical  Director, 
had  passed  into  the  canon  on  the  way  to  the  post. 
It  was  a  narrow  escape,  for  the  officers  were  entirely 
unprepared  for  the  attack. 

Soon  after  an  ox  train  belonging  to  a  government 
contractor  arrived  at  the  entrance  of  the  canon  and 
the  oxen  had  just  been  unyoked  for  the  night,  when 
the  Indians  appeared,  killed  nearly  all  the  cattle 
and  drove  off  the  remainder.  Apache-Mojave  scouts 
were  put  on  the  trail  but  failed  to  overtake  the 
renegades.  The  cattle  were  found  killed  along  the 
trail. 

When  sufficient  time  had  elapsed  to  allow  the 
Indians  to  consider  the  trail  abandoned,  a  detach- 
ment and  thirty  scouts,  was  sent  out,  this  being  the 
first  scout  of  the  regiment  in  Arizona,  and  followed 
the  trail  through  the  canons  of  Tonto  Basin  to  the 
line  of  the  reservation,  upon  which  returning  rene- 
gades were  at  that  time  accorded  protection. 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  I  83 

During  December,  Major  James  Biddle  was  or- 
dered out  to  the  Mexican  border  with  a  squadron 
from  Fort  Grant,  to  drive  back  Mexican  soldiers 
violating  neutrality  laws. 

On  January  9th,  1876,  Troops  A  and  D  were  in 
garrison  at  Fort  Apache.  The  Indians,  living  in 
the  vicinity,  for  some  fancied  grievance  jumped  into 
the  timber  and  rocks  and  opened  fire  on  the  post. 
The  firing  continued  for  several  hours  ;  the  Indians 
were  finally  driven  from  their  position  with  a  loss 
of  one  killed. 

Scouting  parties  were  constantly  out  from  the 
various  posts  during  the  winter  and  spring,  more 
as  a  precautionary  measure  than  for  any  apparent 
necessity.  It  had  become  evident,  however,  at  the 
New  Mexican  agencies  and  the  Chiricauhua  agency 
in  Arizona,  that  the  Indians  were  preparing  for 
depredations.  They  declared  that  the  government 
had  acted  in  bad  faith,  that  no  meat  had  been  issued 
for  four  weeks,  that  many  of  their  young  men  were 
away  on  raids  for  horses  and  mules,  and  it  would 
be  better  for  them  all  to  go  than  to  remain  and 
starve. 

Two  white  men,  Rogers  and  Spence,  owned  a 
well-known  ranch  on  the  overland  stage  road  at 
Sulphur  Springs  in  southern  Arizona.  They  were 
known  to  have  constant  intercourse  with  the  Chiri- 
cauhuas  and  were  believed  to  be  trading  in  whiskey 


184  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

and  other  illicit  supplies.  Much  surprise  was  caused, 
early  in  April,  1875,  when  their  whilom  friends  killed 
them  and  ransacked  the  ranch.  Lieutenant  Austin 
Henely,  with  thirty  men,  went  in  pursuit  of  the 
Indians  as  soon  as  the  murder  was  reported  at  the 
agency,  which  was  located  a  few  miles  away  at  Fort 
Bowie.  The  Indians  were  overtaken  in  the  San 
Pedro  mountains,  where  they  were  found  strongly 
entrenched,  and  in  such  numbers  that  Lieutenant 
Henely  withdrew,  with  the  loss  of  one  man,  as  soon 
as  he  had  developed  their  position  and  saw  the 
futility  of  fighting  with  his  small  force. 

The  killing  of  Rogers  and  Spence  might  have 
been  the  result  of  a  drunken  brawl,  but  so  many 
indications  of  unrest  and  discontent  were  evident 
that  investigations  were  made  to  determine  what 
conditions  must  be  met.  The  trail  of  blood  which 
blighted  southern  New  Mexico  and  Arizona  for  ten 
years  following  this  period,  renders  necessary  a  few 
remarks  of  explanation. 

As  the  Indians  living  in  New  Mexico  were  practi- 
cally the  same  as  the  Chiricauhua  Apaches,  General 
Hatch  was  ordered  at  once  to  the  southern  asfen- 
cies  to  investigate.  He  found  some  conditions, 
concerning  which  his  report  may  be  profitably 
quoted : 

"  These  Indians  have  not  advanced  in  any  manner  since 
placed  upon  reservations.     They  plant  less  than  when  wild 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  I  85 

and  seem  to  have  devoted  their  energies  in  preparing  for  the 
warpath  by  theft  of  horses  and  purchase  of  arms  and  ammu- 
nition. The  reservation  furnishes  a  place  of  concealment  for 
stolen  property,  and  draws  near  it  a  disreputable  class  of 
traders.  There  is  no  discipline  among  these  Indians;  they 
come  and  go  when  it  pleases  them,  raid  with  impunity  on  the 
neighboring  settlers  in  small  stealing  parties,  and  make  ex- 
tensive raids  into  Mexico. 

Eventually  the  settlers  will  be  strong  enough  to  resist  suc- 
cessfully. In  the  meantime  a  sense  of  insecurity  will  pervade 
the  community,  and  I  believe  it  is  economy  for  the  govern- 
ment to  settle  the  matter  at  once." 

While  General  Hatch  was  there  the  Indians  were 
greatly  excited,  for  some  of  the  Arizona  Indians 
who  had  eneasfed  in  the  massacres  of  Roofers  and 
Spence,  and  a  party  of  Mexicans,  had  arrived  to 
stir  up  the  other  Indians.  Victorio,  Loco  and  other 
chiefs,  openly  announced  their  policy  of  making 
peace  with  Sonora  and  then  raiding  inside  of  the 
United  States,  and  all  the  young  men  favored  this 
arrangement.  The  timely  arrival  of  troops  was  all 
that  prevented  a  general  outbreak. 

While  the  general  and  his  troops  were  on  the 
spot,  a  young  warrior,  Lopez,  with  his  raiding  party, 
came  in  with  mules  run  off  from  the  Clifton  copper 
mines,  in  Arizona,  and  openly  asserted  that  they 
intended  keeping  what  they  had  captured.  It  was 
learned  that  this  was  one  of  six  raiding  parties  then 
out,  one  of  which  contained  nearly  forty  bucks. 

The  troops  made  a  bold  showing  and   recovered 


1 86  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

nearly  all  the  mules,  but  it  was  apparent  that  the 
garrisons  of  Arizona  and  New  Mexico  had  an 
herculean  task  cut  out  for  them  if  they  were  to 
preserve  the  peace  and  protect  the  scattered  ranch- 
men and  miners  without  strong  reinforcements. 

The  proximity  of  the  Chiricauhua  Reservation  to 
Sonora  made  it  impossible  to  prevent  raids  in  Ari- 
zona, so  an  immediate  removal  of  the  agency  to 
San  Carlos  was  determined  upon.  The  troops  of 
the  regiment  were  scattered  over  the  territory  but 
they  were  promptly  put  on  the  march  to  south- 
eastern Arizona  and  rendezvoused  at  Forts  Lowell, 
Grant  and  Bowie. 

One  squadron,  under  General  James  Oakes, 
marched  from  Fort  Lowell  to  the  agency  at  Fort 
Bowie  ;  Major  Compton  proceeded  to  the  eastern 
side  of  the  reservation  from  Fort  Grant,  with  a 
squadron  and  a  company  of  Apache  scouts  ;  Cap- 
tain Brayton,  Eighth  Infantry,  proceeded  from  Fort 
Grant,  in  command  of  a  squadron  of  the  regiment 
and  a  company  of  Indian  scouts,  along  the  western 
side  of  the  reservation. 

Lieutenant  Henely  went  into  the  mountains  from 
Fort  Bowie  and  assisted  about  two  hundred  friendly 
Chiricauhuas  to  the  agency  adjoining  the  post. 

As  the  various  columns  began  to  close  in  around 
the  little  range,  in  which  the  tribe  had  always  lived, 
many  of  the  disaffected  fled  to  the  rocky  fastnesses 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  I  87 

of  the  almost  inaccessible  mountains  of  northern 
Mexico,  only  a  few  miles  away,  and  remained  for 
years  as  a  scourge  to  the  settlers  and  miners  along 
the  border. 

While  A  and  E  troops  and  a  few  scouts  were 
in  camp  in  the  Chiricauhua  mountains  awaiting  the 
return  of  D  troop  from  scouting  for  trails,  four  In- 
dians came  to  the  mouth  of  the  canon  on  the  way 
in  from  a  raid  in  Sonora.  The  scouts  discovered 
them,  when  two  dashed  towards  the  agency  and 
were  allowed  to  go  in ;  the  other  two  started  on 
the  back  trail  to  the  valley  and  were  killed,  together 
with  one  horse,  before  the  troops  could  mount  and 
reach  the  scene. 

A  round  up  of  those  who  reported  at  the  agency 
was  made  and  they  were  sent  to  San  Carlos  about 
the  15th  of  June.  For  many  years  the  numbers  on 
this  reservation  had  been  reported  at  about  one 
thousand,  yet  the  count  disclosed  only  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty  present.  Those  who  fled  to  Mexico 
did  not  number  nearly  that  many,  if  their  outgoing 
trails  were  to  be  taken  as  evidence. 

Soon  after  the  arrival  of  the  Chiricauhuas  at  San 
Carlos  Agency,  the  troops  were  sent  back  to  their 
posts,  and  the  entire  country  vacated  by  the  Indians 
was  filled  with  daring  prospectors,  who  were  aware 
of  the  existence  of  fine  mines  in  the  vicinity.  Many 
of  these  hardy  miners  paid  with  their  lives  for  the 
privilege  of  prospecting  that  section. 


1 88  FROM    YORKTOWN   TO    SANTIAGO. 

The  young-  Indians  were  very  resentful  at  the 
loss  of  their  old  mountain  homes,  and  soon  became 
so  bold  in  their  raids  that  another  company  of 
scouts  was  organized  for  the  special  purpose  of 
guarding  that  portion  of  the  border.  2d  Lieutenant 
John  A.  Rucker,  than  whom  no  officer  in  the  army 
was  better  qualified  for  the  work  before  him,  was 
assigned  to  the  command. 

On  August  15th,  1876,  a  detachment  of  E  troop 
and  Indian  scouts  had  a  fight  in  Tonto  Basin,  in 
which  eight  Indians  were  killed  and  two  wounded. 
Between  January  9th,  and  February  5th,  1877,  a 
detachment  of  E  troop  and  Indian  scouts  killed 
eighteen  Indians  and  captured  twenty  in  three  fights, 
while  scouting  in  Tonto  Basin  from  Fort  Verde. 

During  December,  Indians  ran  off  some  stock, 
and  Lieutenant  Rucker  with  a  detachment  of  H 
and  K  troops  and  thirty-four  scouts,  took  up  the 
trail  near  old  Camp  Crittenden  and  followed  it  more 
than  two  hundred  miles,  to  the  summit  of  Stein's 
Peak  range.  At  this  point  the  command  tempor- 
arily abandoned  the  pursuit,  went  into  Fort  Bowie 
for  supplies,  returned  and  took  up  the  trail  January 
7th. 

The  scouts  discovered  the  camp  of  the  hostile 
raiders  next  day  in  the  Leidendorf  mountains. 
During  the  night  the  scouts  and  soldiers  surrounded 
the  camp,  and  at  daylight  opened  fire  ;  the  hostiles 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  I  89 

took  cover  in  the  rocks  and  the  fight  continued  for 
about  two  hours,  when  the  soldiers  and  scouts 
charged  and  carried  the  position.  Many  of  the 
Indians  escaped ;  Geronimo's  nephew,  a  boy  of 
five  or  six  years  of  age,  was  captured,  and  ten 
bodies  of  the  dead  remained  upon  the  field.  Forty- 
six  horses  and  mules  were  captured,  also  a  large 
quantity  of  blankets,  calico,  manta  and  other  goods, 
stolen  from  a  wagon  train  which  had  been  recently 
jumped.  About  $1200.00  in  Mexican  silver  was 
found  in  the  camp. 

This  was  the  first  severe  chastisement  the  Chiri- 
cauhuas  had  ever  received,  and  when  it  is  con- 
sidered that  they  were  so  well  armed  that  ten  mod- 
ern breech-loaders  were  left  on  the  field,  all  the 
more  credit  is  due  Lieutenant  Rucker  and  his  men. 
In  former  years  the  Indians  had  used  bows  and 
arrows  to  a  great  extent,  together  with  old  muzzle- 
loaders  and  nondescript  arms  ;  the  Chiricauhuas 
were  the  first  to  acquire  up-to-date  breech-loaders, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  all  the  other  Apaches 
were  similarly  armed. 

Early  in  February,  1877,  the  Chiricauhuas  ran 
off  stock  from  the  San  Pedro  valley  in  southern 
Arizona,  and  Lieutenant  Rucker  followed  the  trail, 
in  snow  storms  of  unusual  severity,  to  the  vicinity 
of  the  Warm  Spring  Reservation  in  New  Mexico. 
The   trail  was   abandoned   at    the    reservation  line, 


IQO  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

but  information  was  obtained  that  the  raiders  had 
arrived  safely  at  the  agency  with  the  stolen  stock. 
Lieutenant  Henely  visited  the  Warm  Spring  agency, 
and  on  March  17th,  telegraphed  to  General  Kautz, 
the  Department  Commander  : 

"  I  saw  Geronimo  at  the  Warm  Spring  Agency  yesterday; 
he  had  just  returned  from  a  raid  with  one  hundred  horses. 
Was  very  indignant  because  he  could  not  draw  rations  for  the 
time  he  was  out." 

About  the  middle  of  August,  several  parties  of 
Indians  crossed  the  Mexican  border  at  various 
places  and  concentrating  at  a  preconcerted  ren- 
dezvous, proceeded  to  the  San  Carlos  reservation. 
Lieutenant  Robert  Hanna  started  in  pursuit  with  a 
cavalry  detachment  and  company  of  Indian  scouts, 
and  followed  from  Fort  Huachuca  to  near  Fort 
Bowie,  when  he  learned  that  the  mail  driver  had 
been  killed  by  another  party,  east  of  the  post. 
Lieutenant  Rucker,  with  his  cavalry  detachment 
and  company  of  scouts,  joined  Lieutenant  Hanna's 
pursuing  party  and  the  united  commands  followed 
the  gradually  increasing  trail  into  a  rough  country, 
almost  destitute  of  water.  While  in  the  Stein's 
Peak  range  the  men  soon  exhausted  their  canteens 
and  many  were  almost  crazed  before  water  was 
found.  The  trail  turned  west  and  led  into  the  San 
Carlos  reservation  ;  Lieutenants  Hanna  and  Rucker 
dropped  the  pursuit  and  reported  their  commands 
at  Fort  Thomas,  on  the  edge  of  the  reservation. 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  I9I 

The  renegades  went  into  the  camp  of  the  Warm 
Springs  Apaches  who  had  been  moved  from  New 
Mexico  against  their  will  and  induced  thtMn  to  leave 
the  reservation.  A  considerable  number  started 
out  by  Ash  Creek  Tanks,  where  a  detachment  from 
the  various  posts,  under  Lieutenant  Carter,  was 
camped  with  a  band  of  friendly  White  Mountain 
Apaches  under  Alchise.  The  detachment  had  been 
for  some  weeks  building  a  telegraph  line  across  the 
reservation,  to  connect  the  southern  posts  with 
Fort  Apache ;  the  construction  parties  worked 
without  arms  and  were  only  saved  from  massacre 
by  running  out  of  rations  and  moving  on  over  the 
mountain  towards  Black  river  the  same  day  that 
the  Indians  broke  out.  When  the  renegades  reach- 
ed the  abandoned  camp,  they  stole  some  of  Alchise's 
horses,  and  his  band  pursued  and  fought  them  near 
the  head  of  Ash  Creek. 

Captain  T.  C.  Tupper,  with  his  troop  and  the 
commands  of  Lieutenants  Hanna  and  Rucker,  were 
ordered  in  pursuit.  The  Indians  were  followed  from 
daylight  until  dark  each  day,  the  pursuing  troops 
camping  on  the  trail  wherever  darkness  overtook 
them. 

On  the  evening  of  September  8th,  the  fleeing 
Indians  were  overtaken  near  the  San  Francisco 
river,  in  New  Mexico,  and  a  running  fight  took 
place  for  about  ten  miles,  and  until  darkness  put  a 


192  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

Stop  to  it.  The  following  day  the  pursuit  and  fight 
continued.  The  renegades  numbered  about  fifty, 
of  whom  twelve  were  killed  and  thirteen  captured. 
The  prisoners  admitted  that  the  Indians  had  been 
leaving  in  small  parties  for  some  time,  and  this 
was  verified,  on  October  5th,  when  Chief  Loco  went 
in  to  Fort  Wingate,  New  Mexico,  and  offered  to 
surrender  with  nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty  Indians, 
who  had  left  San  Carlos.  Lieutenant  Hanna's  com- 
mand marched  more  than  seven  hundred  miles  on 
this  scout  ;  the  others  a  little  less. 

The  route  taken  by  these  Indians  in  their  flight 
was  through  such  a  broken  and  rough  country  that 
the  cavalrymen  were  constantly  on  foot,  leading  up 
and  down  precipices  almost  impossible  to  anything 
but  sure-footed  pack  mules  and  goats.  The  regi- 
ment was  called  upon  frequently  to  pursue  over 
this  country  in  after  years,  and  it  did  not  improve 
on  acquaintance. 

The  necessity  for  telegraphic  communication  in 
Arizona  had  become  apparent  before  the  regiment 
arrived  in  the  department,  and  troops  had  begun 
the  construction  of  a  military  line.  The  duty  was 
taken  up  by  a  number  of  lieutenants  in  charge  of 
detachments,  and  a  really  great  work  completed  by 
connecting  the  Pacific  Ocean  at  San  Diego  with  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  with  lateral  branches  to  all  semi- 
permanent  military   posts.      The    line    followed   the 


ARIZONA — THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  1 93 

overland  mail  route,  which  was  in  turn  followed  by 
the  "  Sunset "  railroad  construction  parties  some 
years  later. 

The  magnitude  of  this  work  can  only  be  appre- 
ciated by  an  examination  of  the  map  and  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  country  over  which  the  material  had 
to  be  shipped.  The  difficulty  of  supplying  working 
parties  with  water  was,  alone,  enough  to  discourage 
any  corporation,  yet  this  great  public  improvement 
was  accomplished  without  any  blare  of  trumpets  by 
the  men  of  the  regular  army,  working  in  such  har- 
mony in  Texas,  New  Mexico  and  Arizona,  that 
when  the  moment  arrived  for  the  last  connection 
to  be  made  on  the  high  plains  of  southern  New 
Mexico,  the  instruments  in  all  the  modest  frontier 
offices  acknowledged  the  call  through  several  thou- 
sand miles  of  wire. 

The  completion  of  such  a  difficult  piece  of  public 
work  in  a  civilian  community,  would  have  been 
heralded  by  invitations  to  governors  and  public 
officials,  special  trains,  speeches  and  banquets,  yet 
the  simple  life  of  '*  the  regular "  led  him  to  expect 
exactly  what  he  got — orders  to  rejoin  his  troop 
and  be  ready  to  use  the  knowledge  he  had  ob- 
tained to  go  out  and  repair  the  line  whenever 
raiding  parties  or  the  elements  caused  a  break.  A 
number  of  men  were  killed  in  the  performance  of 
this  lonely  and  thankless  duty. 
13 


194  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

During  the  autumn  of  1877,  the  pack-trains  were 
much  improved,  and,  by  the  addition  of  competent 
packers,  it  was  made  possible  for  troops  to  con- 
duct sustained  operations  against  the  hostile  Indians 
without  necessity  for  going  to  a  post  every  few 
days  for  supplies. 

On  November  27th,  1877,  Lieutenant  J.  A.  Rucker 
left  Fort  Bowie  with  detachments  from  C,  G,  H 
and  L  troops,  and  his  company  of  scouts,  with  forty 
days'  rations,  to  make  a  search  for  renegades  in 
the  Sierra  Madre  mountains  of  Mexico,  from  which 
direction  most  of  the  trails  appeared  to  have  come 
in  the  past. 

When  on  the  San  Bernardino  river,  in  Sonora,  a 
company  of  Mexican  soldiers  was  met,  returning 
from  the  pursuit  of  Apaches  who  had  been  raiding 
in  Chihuahua  and  Sonora,  and  who  had  gone  north 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Guadaloupe  mountains  and 
crossed  the  border. 

Lieutenant  Rucker  returned  at  once  to  the  Amer- 
ican side  of  the  line,  found  and  followed  the  trail 
through  incessant  rains,  north  into  New  Mexico,  where 
on  December  14th,  three  hostiles  were  discovered 
on  Ralston  Flat,  preparing  dinner  and  endeavoring 
to  dry  out  their  plunder,  which  was  spread  about 
near  the  water-hole.  One  Indian  was  killed  and 
one  badly  wounded.  The  two  hostiles  returned  the 
fire  vigorously  and  escaped  while  the  scouts  delayed 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  I  95 

to  secure  the  plunder,  which  consisted  of  two  mules, 
a  horse,  three  saddles,  and  merchandise  of  all  kinds. 

Lieutenant  Rucker  concluded  that  these  Indians 
belonged  to  a  larger  party  returning  from  a  raid 
in  New  Mexico.  He  immediately  crossed  to  the  Las 
Animas  mountains,  to  cut  the  trail,  and  found  it, 
quite  fresh  and  leading  back  to  the  Sierra  Madres. 

It  was  while  following  this  trail  south  that  the 
troops  noticed  the  renegades  had  adopted  the  plan 
of  making  their  camps  on  top  of  hills,  which  they 
carefully  fortified.  With  modern  arms,  behind  forti- 
fications, they  had  become  a  power  to  be  reckoned 
with  most  seriously. 

The  "  rancheria  "  was  discovered  durinof  the  after- 
noon  of  December  1 7th,  and  the  safety  of  the  pack- 
train  having  been  provided  for,  the  command  toiled 
forward  all  night,  on  foot,  over  the  roughest  country 
imaginable.  The  ''  rancheria "  was  surrounded  as 
completely  as  possible  and  the  attack  began  at  day- 
light. The  Indians  fought  desperately  for  a  time, 
but  finally  dashed  into  the  ravines  and  fled  in  all 
directions.  They  were  pursued  for  several  miles 
when  the  exhausted  command  was  recalled.  The 
Indians  left  fifteen  dead  upon  the  field.  Sixty 
horses  and  mules,  fifty  saddles,  and  all  their  food, 
clothing  and  property  were  captured.  The  com- 
mand traveled  more  than  five  hundred  miles  on 
this  scout. 


196  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

While  Lieutenant  Rucker's  command  was  ab- 
sent, Indian  Agent  Hart  reported,  December  12th, 
that  the  Chiricauhuas  had  jumped  Ramon  Sell's 
wagon  train  at  Ash  Springs  and  carried  off  liquors 
and  stores  of  all  kinds.  Such  troops  as  were 
available  were  sent  out,  and  the  detachment  from 
Fort  Bowie  found  the  mail-driver  killed  and  mail 
destroyed.  This  showed  they  were  moving  south 
towards  Lieutenant  Rucker's  command,  whose  en- 
counter with  them  has  just  been  described. 

On  April  5th,  1878,  a  detachment  of  E  troop, 
with  Indian  scouts,  while  scouting  west  of  Bill  Wil- 
liams' Mountain,  in  northern  Arizona,  killed  seven 
Indians  and  captured  seven  squaws  and  children. 

During  the  latter  part  of  April,  Lieutenant  Dravo, 
while  scouting  with  a  detachment  of  I  troop,  from 
Fort  McDowell,  captured  seventeen  Indians  at 
Smith's  Mills,  near  Wickenburg,  Arizona. 

The  incessant  raiding  parties  from  Sonora, 
Mexico,  were  rapidly  making  a  desert  of  southern 
Arizona.  The  mail-drivers  were  being  constantly 
waylaid,  and  travelling,  except  at  night,  was  ex- 
tremely dangerous.  Information  was  obtained  that 
the  Indians  had  a  rendezvous  in  Sonora,  from 
which  the  Mexicans  had  been  unable  to  dislodge 
them. 

The  commanding  general  determined,  if  possi- 
ble, to  break  up  this  band,  and  orders  were  issued 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  1 97 

for  three  companies  of  scouts,  with  selected  cavalry 
detachments,  under  Lieutenants  Hanna,  Rucker  and 
Carter,  to  concentrate  from  Forts  Huachuca,  Bowie 
and  Apache.  Lieutenants  Rucker  and  Carter 
joined  commands  near  the  Chihuahua-Sonora  line, 
but  were  stopped  by  orders  issued  in  consequence 
of  objections  to  crossing  the  border,  filed  by  the 
Mexican  commander.  The  treaty  only  admitted  of 
crossing  while  on  a  hot  trail.  The  mixed  command 
withdrew  through  Guadaloupe  Canon  and  estab- 
lished a  supply  camp  near  the  border,  in  the  Chiric- 
auhua  Mountains,  to  which  point  Captain  Madden 
had  been  ordered  with  his  troop. 

Lieutenant  Henely,  who  had  been  placed  in  com- 
mand of  Lieutenant  Hanna's  scouts  when  that 
officer  broke  down,  was  ordered  to  the  camp  re- 
lieving Lieutenant  Carter's  scouts,  whose  time  of 
service  was  about  to  expire.  A  few  days  after 
Lieutenant  Henely  joined  the  supply  camp,  a  water- 
spout struck  the  head  of  the  canon  and  in  a  few 
minutes  made  a  raging  torrent  of  the  hitherto  little 
rivulet,  along  which  the  troops  were  camped.  Both 
Lieutenants  Heneley  and  Rucker  mounted  their 
horses  and  assisted  in  packing  the  rations,  which 
were  being  rapidly  submerged,  to   high  ground. 

On  the  last  trip  out  of  the  stream,  Lieutenant 
Rucker  made  a  safe  landing,  but  Lieutenant  Henely's 
horse  was  knocked  down  by  the  torrent  and  rolling 


198  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

boulders.  The  horse  got  out  safely,  but,  as  Lieutenant 
Henely  rose  to  the  surface,  he  was  dashed  against  a 
stump  and  evidently  rendered  insensible.  Lieutenant 
Rucker  quickly  uncoiled  his  lariat  and  riding  close 
to  the  bank  threw  it  across  his  friend,  who  made  no 
effort  to  catch  it.  Without  a  thought  of  self  this 
noblehearted,  generous  fellow  leaped  his  magnificent 
and  willing  horse  off  the  high  bank  ahead  of  Henely, 
and  as  the  animal  rose  to  the  surface  endeavored 
to  save  the  drowning  man.  The  torrent  was  such 
now  that  no  human  being  could  strive  successfully 
against  it,  and  when  those  who  had  followed  along 
the  bank  saw  Rucker's  horse  reach  shore  without 
him,  they  realized  that  he,  too,  had  been  sacrificed 
to  the  fury  of  the  waters. 

Thus  died  together,  at  an  untimely  age,  two  class- 
mates and  comrades,  who  had  given  evidence  of 
the  highest  order  of  ability  in  Indian  warfare  by 
success  in  battle,  which  is  the  only  true  test  of  the 
soldier.  Their  loss  was  sincerely  mourned,  not  only 
by  the  regiment,  but  by  all  the  frontier  community 
from  Kansas  to  Arizona. 

The  water  subsided  as  rapidly  as  it  had  risen, 
and  the  bodies  were  found  upon  the  ground  a 
short  distance  below  the  camp,  by  the  anxious 
watchers.  Every  effort  at  resuscitation  failed  and 
their  bodies  were  carried  by  the  sad  and  simple 
funeral    cortege    to    Fort     Bowie,    in    Apache    Pass, 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF    THB:    APACHES.  1 99 

where  they  were  interred  side  by  side  in  a  ceme- 
tery, the  headboards  of  which  almost  invariably 
bore  the  inscription  "  killed  by  Apaches." 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  it  is  nevertheless  a  fact, 
that  during  a  period  of  ten  years,  more  deaths  by 
drowning  occurred  amongst  line  officers  of  the  army 
than  amongst  those  of  the  navy,  including  the 
"  Huron "  disaster,  in  which  nearly  all  on  board 
were  lost.  This  is  probably  due  to  the  sudden  and 
terrible  nature  of  western  floods  on  the  one  hand 
and  the  naval  life-saving  appliances  on  the  other. 

Lieutenant  H.  P.  Perrine,  with  a  detachment  of 
B  and  M  troops  and  Indian  scouts,  struck  a  party 
of  three  renegade  Chiricauhuas  at  the  Clifton  Cross- 
ing of  the  Gila  river,  on  September  13th,  1878,  but 
was  unable  to  get  within  range  of  them  before 
discovery.  Their  trail  was  followed  to  New  Mexico 
where  they  were  overtaken,  September  17th,  on 
Bear  Creek,  northwest  of  Fort  Bayard,  and  two 
were  killed  and  four  horses  and  one  mule  cap- 
tured. 

During  this  same  month  Major  A.  P.  Morrow, 
Ninth  Cavalry,  was  pursuing  that  wily  chief,  Victorio, 
in  New  Mexico,  and  Captain  C.  H.  Campbell  with 
Troop  A  joined  the  command  and  accompanied  it 
to  Mexico,  where  the  Indians  were  overtaken  in 
the  Guzman  Mountains,  near  Corralitas  river.  In 
the  fight  which  followed  one  private  of  A  troop 
was  killed. 


200  FROM    YORKTOWN   TO    SANTIAGO. 

There  was  comparative  peace  in  Arizona  during 
1879,  owing  to  the  active  pursuit  of  all  raiders 
during  several  years  immediately  preceding.  From 
their  concealment  in  Mexico,  raiding  parties  con- 
tinued to  harass  districts  further  east,  and  the  regi- 
ment frequently  entered  New  Mexico  to  assist 
troops  in  that  department.  During  April,  1879, 
several  officers  of  the  regiment  with  detachments 
and  Indian  scouts  went  to  the  Mescalero  Agency, 
east  of  the  Rio  Grande,  where  Generals  Hatch  and 
Grierson  made  an  attempt  to  disarm  the  Indians 
who  had  been  surreptitiously  leaving  the  agency 
and  joining  Victorio's  raiding  parties,  and  subse- 
quently returning  to  their  camps  with  the  plunder. 
A  part  of  the  Indians  resisted  and  broke  away, 
but  were  instantly  pursued  and  a  number  killed. 

During  this  same  month  General  Hatch  ordered 
a  squadron  of  the  Ninth  Cavalry  to  concentrate  in 
the  San  Andreas  Mountains,  to  oppose  Victorio, 
who  was  reported  in  that  vicinity.  Through  some 
mistake  in  orders  Captain  Carroll  reached  the 
mountain  pass  one  day  ahead  of  time.  He  was 
attacked  at  San  Andreas  Springs  by  the  Indians, 
who  had  every  advantage  of  position  and  con- 
trolled the  only  available  water.  Captain  Carroll 
fell  twice  wounded,  and  eight  of  his  men  were  shot 
down  early  in  the  attack.  The  command  was 
making   a   good    fight    under    many    disadvantages. 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  20I 

but  matters  had  reached  such  a  critical  stage  that 
the  savages  had  the  troops  completely  at  their 
mercy. 

Captain  C.  B.  McLellan,  Sixth  Cavalry,  after  a 
vigorous  march  all  night,  arrived  on  the  scene  with 
Troop  L  and  detachments  of  F,  G,  and  M,  of  the 
Sixth  Cavalry,  and  two  companies  of  Indian  scouts, 
the  various  detachments  being  under  Lieutenants 
Touey,  Gatewood  and  Cruse.  Upon  approaching 
the  pass  firing  was  heard,  but  it  was  some  time 
before  the  actual  condition  of  affairs  could  be  ascer- 
tained. As  soon  as  the  desperate  plight  of  the 
Ninth  Cavalry  was  discovered,  Captain  McLellan 
secured  his  pack  trains  and  put  every  available 
man  on  the  firing  line.  The  action  continued  from 
7.30  a.  m.,  to  3.30  p.  m.,  when  the  Indians  were 
finally  driven  from  the  pass  in  the  direction  of  the 
Mescalero  Agency.  About  forty  horses  and  mules 
were  captured  and  three  dead  Indians  were  found 
on  the  field.  The  rugged  character  of  the  ground 
and  the  leno-th  of  time  the  Indians  held  out  enabled 
them  to  remove  their  dead  and  wounded. 

About  two  hours  after  the  Indians  had  been  de- 
feated. General  Hatch  and  Major  Morrow  arrived 
separately  at  the  pass,  with  their  respective  com- 
mands, as  originally  planned.  The  next  day,  after 
a  foot  scout  over  the  mountains.  General  Hatch 
ordered    Captain  McLellan's  command   through   the 


202  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

"  White  Sands  "  to  Tulerosa,  without  an  experienced 
guide.  The  command  got  lost  in  the  desert  and 
was  seventy-two  hours  without  water. 

Only  those  who  have  known  the  pangs  of  thirst 
can  comprehend  the  suffering  of  men  and  animals 
wandering  through  such  deserts  as  the  Jornado  del 
Muerto,  where  this  command  operated  for  the 
next  two  weeks.  Weary  and  foot-sore,  dragging 
tired  and  thirsty  animals,  all  the  surroundings 
tended  to  discourage  and  depress,  yet  this  fine,  old 
commander,  who  had  penetrated  this  Indian  coun- 
try soon  after  the  Mexican  war,  conducted  his  com- 
mand throughout  its  arduous  campaign  with  such 
skill  and  judgment,  that,  after  marching  more  than 
one  thousand  miles,  he  rejoined  the  regiment  in 
Arizona  without  the  loss  of  a  man  or  horse.  It  is 
the  experience  which  such  men  brought  to  the  regi- 
ment in  its  formative  period  which  always  enabled 
it  to  perform  its  full  share  of  duty  without  unneces- 
sary loss  or  disaster. 

Victorio  evidently  reckoned  that  the  presence  of 
troops  from  Arizona  in  New  Mexico  had  left  the 
former  country  open,  so  he  proceeded  toward  the 
San  Carlos  Reservation  early  in  May,  with  fifty 
warriors  and  attacked  peaceable  Indians  living  on 
Eagle  Creek,  killing  twelve  of  them.  The  party 
then  proceeded  towards  the  head  of  Ash  Creek, 
on  which  a  scouting  camp  was  located. 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF   THE    APACHES.  203 

Information  having  been  received  of  the  affair 
on  Eagle  Creek,  Captain  Kramer  moved  rapidly 
from  the  camp  with  the  available  men  of  D  and  E 
troops,  numbering  only  about  twenty,  and  a  like 
number  of  Lieutenant  Blocksom's  Indian  scouts. 
The  scouts  being  on  foot,  the  cavalry  passed 
rapidly  to  the  front  and  while  hurrying  along  the 
narrow  trail,  the  column  received  a  volley  from  the 
hostiles  concealed  in  a  gulch,  at  a  distance  of  about 
fifty  yards.  Sergeant  Griffin,  a  magnificent  speci- 
men of  the  old-time  cavalryman,  was  mortally 
wounded  and  died  soon  after.  The  troops  engaged 
the  hostiles  until  the  scouts  came  up,  when  the 
Indians  broke  under  the  fire  and  rushed  to  their 
horses,  which  they  had  concealed  near  by  in  the 
timber.  They  were  pursued  about  nine  miles 
when  they  made  a  stand  in  a  strong  position. 
The  scouts  were  sent  around  to  the  rear,  and  when 
the  attack  was  pushed  home,  the  hostiles  broke 
again  and  were  pursued  until    dark. 

Captain  T.  C.  Tupper,  after  a  forced  night  march 
of  nearly  fifty  miles,  arrived  on  the  scene  with  his 
troop  at  daylight.  Soon  after  a  wounded  Mexican 
and  the  bodies  of  two  unknown  white  men,  pros- 
pectors, were  found  near  the  bivouac.  Captain 
Tupper  assumed  command  and  took  up  the  trail, 
which  led,  as  straight  as  a  deer  can  travel,  across 
the  same  rough   country  he  had   passed  over  when 


204  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

he  pursued  the  Warm  Spring  renegades  two  years 
before. 

Victorio's  party  traveled  sixty  miles  before  they 
made  a  halt.  They  abandoned  many  worn-out 
horses  along  the  trail,  but  upon  debouching  into 
the  valley  of  the  San  Francisco  river  they  ran  into  a 
bunch  of  cattle  and  killed  eighteen  or  twenty,  and 
obtained  rawhides  to  shoe  their  horses.  The  pur- 
suing troops  took  as  much  of  the  meat  as  they 
needed  for  immediate  use.  All  this  occurred  within 
five  miles  of  General  Hatch's  command,  consisting 
of  eight  troops  of  cavalry  and  a  large  number  of 
scouts. 

The  Indian  trail  became  much  larger  by  accre- 
tions from  the  mountains  to  the  east,  and  as  a 
fight  was  anticipated  by  General  Hatch,  Captain 
Tupper,  who  had  joined  him,  continued  on  the 
trail  with  his  command,  in  advance,  for  several 
days.  The  horses  were  much  run  down  and  as 
there  did  not  appear  to  be  any  prospect  of  over- 
taking the  Indians,  the  Arizona  contingent  was 
withdrawn  from  the  pursuit  and  returned  to  the 
regiment,  leaving  the  Ninth  Cavalry  on  the  trail. 

Captain  D.  Madden,  with  his  Troop  C,  had  been 
patrolling  the  country  from  the  Arizona  line  on  the 
overland  stage  route  as  far  east  as  the  Rio  Grande. 
On  his  way  back  from  the  river  he  heard  of  the 
Indian    depredations    in    the    San    Francisco    valley, 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  205 

telegraphed  for  and  obtained  authority  to  move 
north.  He  abandoned  his  wagon  transportation  at 
Silver  City,  and  marched  with  two  days'  hard  bread 
and  such  bacon,  suofar  and  coffee  as  could  be  car- 
ried  on  the  saddles.  He  found  the  trail  on  the 
east  side  of  the  San  Francisco  river  on  the  morn- 
ing of  May  7th,  and  pursued  it  with  much  vigor. 

The  presence  of  the  troops  in  that  vicinity 
encouraged  the  settlers,  who  had  become  greatly 
depressed  by  the  raids  and  the  wide  path  of  de- 
struction made  by  the  elusive  savages.  Captain 
Madden  found  that  seventeen  settlers  had  been 
murdered  by  the  raiding  parties  just  ahead  of  him. 
There  were  many  fresh  trails  in  the  country,  and 
conditions  indicated  that  these  parties  were  com- 
mitting the  acts  of  deviltry  to  cover  Victorio  in  his 
San  Carlos  raid,  which  has  just  been  described. 
Captain  Madden  ran  out  of  supplies,  and,  being 
unable  to  buy  more  than  two  days'  rations  in  the 
sparsely  settled  country,  was  compelled  to  return 
to  his  transportation,  after  sending  word  to  Gen- 
eral Hatch,  whose  command  had  arrived  in  the 
vicinity,  as  to  the  direction  taken  by  the  Indians. 

The  Chimehuevis,  a  band  of  Pah-Utes,  living  on 
the  Colorado  river,  for  some  fancied  neglect  or 
grievance,  defied  the  authorities  at  the  agency 
during  the  summer.  They  took  up  a  stronghold 
in    an    almost     inaccessible     mountain     about    fifty 


206  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

miles  away.  No  cavalry  had  been  kept  in  that 
vicinity  during  the  peace  of  many  years'  standing. 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Price  was  sent  in  command  of 
an  expedition,  consisting  of  Troops  H,  I  and  K, 
of  the  Sixth,  a  troop  of  the  First  Cavalry  and  a 
battalion  of  the  Eighth  Infantry,  from  California. 

Good  management  and  a  display  of  force,  which 
cut  off  all  hope  of  aid  from  the  Pah-Utes  and  Sho- 
shones,  of  California  and  Nevada,  averted  an  Indian 
war  which  would  have  been  attended  with  difficul- 
ties beyond  calculation.  The  Grand  Canon  and 
the  multitude  of  smaller  canons  along  the  Colorado 
river  would  have  afforded  these  Indians  safe  places 
of  concealment,  and  perhaps  years  would  have  been 
required  to  close  a  war,  once  hostilities  had  begun. 

Throughout  the  department  constant  vigilance 
and  active  scouting  were  maintained,  with  a  view 
to  aiding  the  troops  in  New  Mexico,  who  had  their 
hands  full  with  Victorio  and  his  tireless  raiders, 
whose  success  had  made  their  destruction  neces- 
sary to  prevent  the  enforced  abandonment  of  the 
whole  frontier. 

Troops  in  Texas,  New  Mexico  and  Arizona  were 
given  the  task  of  making  Victorio's  further  raids 
an  impossibility,  and  Mexican  troops  were  sent  to 
the  Chihuahua  and  Sonora  frontiers  to  aid  in  the 
operations.  Nearly  all  the  regiment  was  assembled 
at    Fort    Bowie,    with    several    companies    of   Indian 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  20/ 

scouts,  and  additional  pack-trains  were  organized 
to  carry  sufficient  rations  to  enable  the  regiment 
to  continue  in  the  field  until  the  campaign  could 
be  brought  to  a  successful  termination. 

While  waiting  for  definite  news  from  New  Mexico 
as  to  Victorio's  movements,  resulting  from  the  cam- 
paign being  waged  there,  the  relay  driver  came 
into  camp  with  the  sad  news  that  the  Apaches  had 
jumped  the  overland  stage,  near  Fort  Cummings, 
New  Mexico,  killing  the  driver  and  passengers, 
including  the  young  son  of  Captain  D.  Madden, 
who  was  then  present  with  his  troop,  about  to 
take  the  field.  Young  Madden  had  been  in  the 
east  at  college  and  was  on  his  way  to  the  regiment 
to  spend  his  vacation  with  his  family. 

General  Carr  started  with  his  column  and  cov- 
ered the  western  flank  along  the  New  Mexican  line, 
while  the  Texas  and  New  Mexican  columns  pushed 
steadily  south.  The  Sixth  passed  through  the 
northeast  corner  of  Sonora  and  then  into  Chihua- 
hua, Mexico.  On  October  14th,  Victorio  was  sur- 
rounded by  Mexican  troops,  commanded  by  Colonel 
Joaquin  Terrasas,  in  the  Castillo  mountains,  Chihua- 
hua, and  after  a  desperate  fight  the  band  was  almost 
annihilated.  Victorio,  sixty  warriors  and  eighteen 
women  and  children  were  killed.  Sixty-eight  wo- 
men and  children  were  captured,  and  two  Mexican 
boy   captives  were    rescued.      About  thirty  warriors 


208  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

were  absent,  which  was  a  matter  for  regret.  Nearly 
two  hundred  horses  and  mules  and  all  the  camp 
plunder  were  captured. 

The  trail  of  murder  and  rapine  which  marked 
all  the  movements  of  these  Apaches,  made  their 
extermination  a  cause  for  general  rejoicing  through- 
out the  Mexican  border,  and  enabled  nearly  all 
troops  of  the  regiment  to  return  to  their  posts  for 
recuperation  and  refitting. 

While  some  chiefs  have  become  more  widely 
known,  it  was  the  opinion  of  many  well-informed 
officers  that  Victorio  was  possessed  of  courage  un- 
surpassed by  that  of  any  living  Indian  ;  that  his 
was  a  master  mind,  superior  to  Cochise,  Geronimo, 
Ju,  Natches,  or  any  other  of  that  famous  branch 
of  Apaches  which  contained  warriors  equal  to  any 
on  the  continent.  Victorio  came  nearer  to  forming 
a  coalition  of  Apaches,  Comanches  and  Navajos, 
against  the  whites,  than  any  other  chief,  and  for 
several  years  prior  to  his  death  in  Mexico,  at  the 
hands  of  Colonel  Joaquin  Terrasas'  command,  he 
laid  waste  the  country  from  the  Pecos  river,  west, 
to  the  San  Carlos,  in  Arizona,  and  to  the  south 
far  across  the  Mexican  border,  in  Chihuahua  and 
Sonora.  Troops  from  three  departments — Mis- 
souri, Texas  and  Arizona — as  well  as  those  of  the 
Mexican  army,  were  kept  constantly  in  the  field 
in  the  effort  to  defeat  him.     Men  and  animals  were 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  209 

literally   broken    down    in    merely    endeavoring    to 
neutralize  his  power. 

During  the  summer  of  1881,  there  appeared 
amongst  the  White  Mountain  Apaches  a  rising 
star  in  the  guise  of  a  Medicine  Man,  named 
Nockay  det  Klinne.  This  oracle  gradually  inflamed 
the  minds  of  the  Indians,  and  became  so  infatuated 
by  his  success  that  he  doubtless  believed  the  truth 
of  his  own  weird  dreams.  So  long  as  he  confined 
himself  to  ordinary  incantations  there  was  no  special 
cause  for  anxiety.  In  common  with  more  civilized 
charlatans,  however,  he  had  gradually  mulcted  the 
faithful  believers  of  much  of  their  limited  wealth, 
and  it  became  necessary  for  him  to  make  a  bold 
stroke  to  conceal  the  falseness  of  his  prophecies. 

Considering  the  length  of  time  the  White  Moun- 
tain Indians  had  been  associated  with  the  whites 
and  their  general  intelligence,  it  is  inexplicable  how 
this  fanatic  imposed  upon  the  tribe  so  seriously  as 
to  make  large  numbers  of  them  believe  that  if 
they  would  rise  and  murder  the  whites,  he  would 
restore  to  life  all  their  ancestors.  He  had  been 
promising  to  raise  the  dead  for  some  time,  and 
he  was  growing  rich  through  the  largesse  of  his 
foolish  patrons.  When  he  announced  that  all  the 
dead  Apaches  were  risen,  except  that  their  feet 
were  held  down  waiting  for  the  whites  to  be  driven 
from  the  Indian  country,  the  time  for  interference 
had  arrived. 
14 


2IO  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

It  is  neither  expedient  nor  profitable  to  enter 
into  a  discussion  of  an  aimless  Indian  policy,  which 
permitted  license  to  run  riot  on  reservations  until 
Indians  grew  impudent  in  brooding  over  racial 
wrongs,  and  then  threw  upon  the  small  and  inade- 
quate garrisons  the  work  of  restoring  order  and 
enforcing  obedience. 

Fort  Apache  is  an  isolated  post  in  the  midst  of 
the  White  Mountain  Reservation.  General  E.  A. 
Carr,  the  colonel  of  the  Sixth,  had  been  ordered 
there  for  temporary  duty  during  the  early  part  of 
the  summer  when  there  was  no  indication  of  Indian 
trouble.  As  dissatisfaction  amongst  the  Indians  be- 
came daily  more  apparent,  its  source  was  located 
and  General  Carr  had  an  interview  with  the  Medi- 
cine Man  and  several  chiefs,  in  which  he  explained 
how  futile  would  be  their  efforts  to  rise  successfully 
against  the  white  race.  Nockay  det  Klinne  was 
repeatedly  summoned  to  report  to  Agent  Tiffany 
at  San  Carlos,  but  ignored  all  orders  and  retired 
to  his  camp  on  Cibicu  Creek,  about  forty  miles 
from  Fort  Apache.  Agent  Tiffany's  police  having 
failed,  he  requested  General  Carr  to  arrest  the 
Medicine  Man. 

Recognizing  the  very  serious  turn  of  affairs. 
General  Carr  telegraphed  the  department  com- 
mander recommending  that  additional  troops  be 
sent    at    once    to    Fort    Apache,    to    overawe    the 


ARIZONA THE    lAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  211 

Indians  and  prevent  an  outbreak,  by  convincing 
them  of  the  folly  of  an  uprising.  Troops  were  not 
sent,  but  General  Carr  temporized  with  the  Indians 
who  were  growing  more  bold  and  insolent  day  by 
day,  hoping  to  impress  upon  the  authorities  the 
absolute  necessity  of  reinforcements  to  prevent  an 
Indian  war,  expensive  alike  in  blood  and  treasure. 
Orders  were  ultimately  issued  for  more  troops  to 
proceed  to  Fort  Apache,  but  through  some  strange 
mischance,  or  ill  advice,  they  were  not  allowed  to 
proceed  over  the  mountains  from  the  Gila  river, 
seventy  miles  away  from  the  scene  where  soldierly 
diplomacy  was  arrayed  against  Indian  fanaticism 
and  wily  cunning.  The  hours  for  parleying  reached 
their  limit  when  the  agent  made  a  formal  demand 
that  the  military  arm  should  be  set  in  motion  and 
the  recalcitrant  Medicine  Man  be  brought  before 
him  dead  or  alive. 

During  the  excitement  of  the  dances  inaugurated 
by  the  Indian  Messiah,  the  craze  became  widespread 
and  involved  the  Apaches  in  nearly  all  the  camps 
in  the  White  Mountain  Reservation.  The  Indians 
brewed  "  tizwin,"  a  frightful  intoxicant  made  from 
corn,  and  added  to  their  weird  madness. 

As  soon  as  the  department  commander  tele- 
graphed the  order  for  General  Carr  to  comply 
with  the  agent's  request,  the  Indians  cut  the  line 
and  occupied    the    only  practicable  road  and    moun- 


212  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

tain  trails,  thus  completely  isolating  the  garrison. 
Warning  had  been  received  that  the  scouts,  hitherto 
of  unblemished  character  for  fidelity,  were  strongly 
fascinated  with  the  uncanny  doctrines  of  the  plausi- 
ble and  silver-tongued  Medicine  Man. 

Upon  receipt  of  his  orders  to  arrest  or  kill 
Nockay  det  Klinne,  General  Carr  sent  a  runner  to 
his  camp  with  a  message  that  no  harm  was  intended 
toward  him,  but  he  must  come  in  and  report  as 
desired  by  the  agent.  An  evasive  answer  was 
received.  It  was  learned  he  was  to  visit  the  camps 
adjacent  to  the  post  for  another  big  dance  and 
arrangements  were  made  to  secure  him,  but  he 
grew  suspicious  and  failed  to  put  in  an  appearance. 

On  Monday,  August  29th,  General  Carr  paraded 
his  little  command,  consisting  of  two  troops  of  his 
regiment,  D  and  E,  with  a  total  strength  of  seventy- 
nine  men  and  twenty-three  Indian  scouts,  and 
marched  on  the  trail  to  Cibicu  Creek.  There  was 
but  one  officer  for  duty  with  each  organization. 
One  small  infantry  company  was  left  for  the  pro- 
tection of  the  garrison.  The  command  moved 
leisurely  and  camped  in  a  deep  gorge  at  the  cross- 
ing of  Carizo  Creek. 

Some  days  prior  to  this  time  it  had  been  deemed 
advisable  to  withdraw  the  ammunition  in  the  hands 
of  the  scouts.  General  Carr  now  thought  that  it 
was  more  judicious  to  have  a  plain  talk  with  them 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  21  3 

and  assume  an  air  of  confidence.  No  overt  act  had 
been  committed  by  any  of  them,  and  in  past  years 
they  had  accompanied  the  troops  on  innumerable 
scouts,  exhibiting  at  all  times  courage,  untiring 
energy  and  vigilance.  The  object  of  the  expedition 
was  explained  and  the  ammunition  restored  to  all 
the  scouts. 

Sergeant  Mose  was  selected  to  precede  the  com- 
mand and  notify  the  Indians  that  no  hostile  action 
was  contemplated,  and  that  the  only  purpose  was 
to  have  Nockay  det  Kllnne  come  to  the  post.  Mose 
carried  out  his  instructions  faithfully. 

Next  morning  the  command  toiled  slowly  up  the 
narrow  trail  to  the  top  of  the  canon,  and  crossed 
the  divide.  Upon  arriving  in  the  valley  of  the 
Cibicu,  the  scouts  took  the  trail  leading  along  the 
creek,  but  General  Carr  chose  the  fork  leading  along 
the  high  open  ground.  While  still  several  miles  from 
the  Medicine  Man's  camp,  Sanchez,  a  well-known 
chief,  rode  out  of  the  creek  bottom,  shook  hands 
with  the  officers  at  the  head  of  the  column,  and 
then  calmly  and  deliberately  rode  down  the  column 
counting  the  men.  He  then  turned  his  pony  and 
galloped  back  to  the  creek  which,  at  this  point, 
ran  in  between  low  bluffs  and  hills.  This  was  the 
first  and  only  suspicious  act  noticed  by  any  one. 

The  column  marched  steadily  forward  and  turned 
into    the    bottom,    crossing  the  stream  not  far  from 


214  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

the  Medicine  Man's  "  wicky-up."  Officers  and  men 
had  all  been  cautioned  to  be  in  readiness  for 
treachery,  but  the  Medicine  Man  surrendered  so 
readily  that  the  warning  seemed  unnecessary.  Gen- 
eral Carr  directed  the  interpreter  to  state  plainly 
that  Nockay  det  Klinne  and  his  family  would  be 
taken  to  the  post  and  no  harm  was  intended  to 
them,  but  if  any  attempt  at  rescue  was  made,  the 
Medicine  Man  would  be  killed. 

Lieutenant  Cruse,  who  commanded  the  scouts, 
was  directed  to  take  charge  of  the  prisoners  with 
the  guard,  and  follow  in  the  column  between  D 
and  E  troops.  General  Carr,  with  his  staff,  then 
led  the  way  across  the  creek  by  a  different  trail 
from  the  one  used  in  going  over.  This  trail  led 
through  high  willows  and  underbrush,  and  it  was 
not  discovered,  until  too  late  to  rectify  the  mistake, 
that  Lieutenant  Cruse  had  missed  the  entrance  to 
the  crossing  and  was  going  down  the  opposite  side 
to  the  lower  crossing,  followed  by  E  troop. 

General  Carr  selected  an  excellent  camp  site  and 
the  packs  were  taken  off,  D  troop  horses  turned 
out  under  the  herd  guard  and  the  usual  prepara- 
tions made  for  camping  in  a  country  where  tents 
were  seldom  used. 

At  this  time  it  was  observed  that  mounted  In- 
dians were  coming  up  the  creek  from  the  gulches 
which  the  column  had    avoided,  and  that  they  were 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  21  5 

collecting  around  the  Medicine  Man's  guard.  When 
the  oruard  crossed  the  creek  and  was  about  enter- 
ing  the  Umits  of  the  camp,  General  Carr  told  Cap- 
tain E.  C.  Hentig  to  quietly  warn  the  Indians  away 
from  the  camp  and  directed  Lieutenant  W.  H. 
Carter,  regimental  quartermaster,  to  separate  the 
scouts  and  put  them  in  camp.  These  two  officers 
walked  only  a  few  paces  to  where  the  Indians  were. 
Lieutenant  Carter  called  the  scouts  and  directed 
Sergeant  "  Dead  Shot  "  to  put  them  in  camp.  The 
scouts  left  the  other  Indians,  but  appeared  uneasy 
and  demurred  about  camping  because  of  numerous 
hills  of  large  red  ants,  common  to  all  parts  of 
Arizona.  The  scouts  arranged  themselves  at  inter- 
vals along  the  crest  of  the  "  mesa "  or  tableland, 
which  had  been  selected  as  a  camp  ground. 

Captain  Hentig  passed  a  few  yards  beyond  the 
scouts  and  called  out  to  the  Indians,  to  all  of  whom 
he  was  well  known  through  his  five  years  of  service 
at  Camp  Apache,  "  Ukashe,"  which  means  "  go 
away."  As  he  raised  his  hand  to  motion  to  them, 
a  half-witted  young  buck  fired  and  gave  the  war 
cry.  The  long-delayed  explosion  took  place  at  a 
moment  when  the  men  on  foot  had  been  warned 
not  to  show  any  signs  of  expecting  a  fight. 

Captain  Hentig  and  his  orderly,  who  was  between 
him  and  Lieutenant  Carter,  fell  at  the  first  volley. 
The  dismounted  men  of  D  troop  seized  their  arms  ; 


2l6  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

the  small  headquarter  guard,  engaged  in  putting 
up  a  tent  for  General  Carr,  advanced  on  the  scouts 
with  brave  Sergeant  Bowman  in  the  lead,  and 
opened  fire.  At  this  time  there  were  more  than 
a  hundred  Indians  besides  the  scouts  in  camp,  and 
less  than  forty  dismounted  men  engaged  in  a  hand- 
to-hand  conflict. 

General  Carr  walked  calmly  towards  the  position 
just  vacated  by  the  mutinous  scouts,  and  called 
firmly  to  the  guard,  "  Kill  the  Medicine  Man ! " 
Sergeant  McDonald,  who  was  in  charge  of  the 
guard,  fired,  wounding  Nockay  det  Klinne  through 
both  thighs,  but  the  sergeant  was  immediately  shot 
by  the  scouts.  The  Medicine  Man  and  his  squaw 
endeavored  to  reach  the  scouts,  the  Messiah  call- 
ing loudly  to  the  Indians  to  fight,  for  if  he  was 
killed  he  would  come  to  life  again. 

Lieutenant  Carter's  orderly  trumpeter  was  going 
towards  the  guard  with  the  saddle  kit,  and  when 
General  Carr  called,  he  drew  his  revolver,  and  while 
the  Medicine  Man  was  yelling,  this  young  boy 
thrust  a  pistol  muzzle  into  his  mouth  and  fired. 
The  squaw  was  allowed  to  pass  out  of  the  camp 
chanting  a  weird  death  song  in  her  flight. 

The  scouts  and  other  Indians  were  promptly 
driven  from  the  immediate  vicinity.  Lieutenant 
Stanton,  whose  troop  had  been  at  the  rear  oi  the 
column,   was  just   forming  line    mounted,   when    the 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  21/ 

fight  began  and  as  the  scouts  drew  off  into  the 
underbrush,  the  troop  was  dismounted  and  charged 
through  the  bottom,  driving  the  Indians  out  on  the 
other  side  of  the  creek. 

Sanchez  and  a  few  followers  shot  the  herder 
nearest  the  stream,  and  with  wild  yells,  stampeded 
such  horses  as  had  been  turned  loose.  The  mules 
still  had  on  their  aparejos  and  remained  quietly 
standing  in  the  midst  of  all  the  turmoil  around 
them  until  the  packers  were  ordered  by  the  quarter- 
master to  take  them    to    the  bottom  for  protection. 

There  was  but  a  moment's  respite  during  the 
retreat  of  the  Indians  to  the  neighboring  hills.  The 
command  was  immediately  disposed  to  resist  the 
attack,  which  commenced  as  soon  as  the  Indians 
had  gotten  to  cover  in  their  new  positions. 

An  incident  happened  during  the  early  part  of 
this  fight  which  well  illustrates  the  training  and 
discipline  of  the  men.  A  detachment  of  D  troop 
had  been  sent  back  with  a  pack  mule  to  a  gulch 
where  some  dry  wood  was  observed  as  the  column 
passed.  The  mule  was  being  packed  when  the 
fight  began.  Instead  of  seeking  safety  in  fiight 
or  waiting  to  see  the  result,  the  mule  was  aban- 
doned, the  men  mounted,  dashed  back  into  the 
melee  and  shared  with  their  comrades  the  chances 
of  desperate  battle. 

General  Carr  had  but  three  officers.  Lieutenants 


2l8  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

Stanton,  Carter  and  Cruse,  and  the  small  size  of 
the  command  required  every  one  on  the  firing  line. 
Assistant  Surgeon  McCreery  was  kept  busy  with 
the  wounded,  whom  he  attended  under  fire  with 
perfect  composure  and  courage.  The  loss  in  this 
fight  was  Captain  Hentig  and  six  men  killed.  That 
the  loss  was  no  more  was  due  in  a  great  measure 
to  the  coolness  and  courage  of  General  Carr. 

A  situation  better  calculated  to  try  the  mettle 
of  a  command  could  scarcely  be  imagined.  Hav- 
ing effected  the  object  of  the  march, — the  arrest 
of  a  notorious  and  mischief-making  Medicine  Man, — 
without  diflficulty,  and  with  no  resistance  on  the  part 
of  his  people,  the  troops  had  set  about  making 
camp  for  the  night,  when  suddenly  they  were  fired 
upon,  not  alone  by  the  friends  of  the  Medicine 
Man,  but  by  their  own  allies,  the  Indian  scouts,  who 
had  hitherto  been  loyalty  itself.  The  confusion 
and  dismay  which  such  an  attack  at  such  a  time 
necessarily  caused,  might  well  have  resulted  in  the 
annihilation  of  the  entire  force,  and  constituted  a 
situation  from  which  nothing  but  the  most  con- 
summate skill  and  bravery  could  pluck    safety. 

When  darkness  settled  over  the  field  the  dead 
were  buried  in  a  single  grave,  prepared  inside  of 
General  Carr's  tent.  The  burial  party  and  a  few 
men  who  could  be  spared  from  the  firing  line,  stood 
about    the   grave    with   bared    heads    while    General 


ARIZONA — THE    LAND    OF   THE    APACHES.  219 

Carr  recited  the  burial  service.  As  the  last  sad 
notes  of  "  taps "  died  away,  the  column  prepared 
to  return  to  the  post  toward  which  small  parties  of 
Indians  had  been  seen  going  all  through  the  after- 
noon. 

Before  leaving  the  field  General  Carr  sent  Lieu- 
tenant Carter  to  examine  the  body  of  the  Medicine 
Man  and  determine  if  life  was  extinct.  Strange 
to  say,  notwithstanding  his  wounds,  he  was  still 
alive.  The  recovery  of  this  Indian,  if  left  in  the 
hands  of  his  friends,  would  have  given  him  a  com- 
manding influence  over  these  superstitious  people, 
which  would  have  resulted  in  endless  war.  General 
Carr  then  repeated  the  order  for  his  death,  specify- 
ing that  no  more  shots  should  be  fired.  Guide  Burns 
was  directed  to  carry  out  the  order  with  the  under- 
standing that  a  knife  was  to  be  used.  Burns,  fear- 
ing failure,  took  an  ax  and  crushed  the  forehead 
of  the  deluded  fanatic,  and  from  this  time  forward 
every  person  murdered  by  these  Apaches  was 
treated  in  a  similar  manner. 

The  column  then  started  and  marched  all  night, 
arriving  at  the  post  during  the  next  afternoon. 
Many  of  the  Indians  had  preceded  the  command 
and  all  night  they  were  haranguing  in  the  vicinity. 
They  covered  the  roads  and  trails,  and  killed  a 
number  of  citizens,  the  mail  carrier  and  three  sol- 
diers coming  in  from  duty  at  the  ferry  on  Black 
river. 


220  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

On  the  following  morning,  September  ist,  the 
Indians  burned  some  buildings  in  the  vicinity,  and 
in  the  afternoon  attacked  the  post  but  were  driven 
off.  Captain  Gordon  was  wounded  during  this 
attack  while  at  the  corner  of  the  main  parade. 

There  was  much  in  the  situation  to  produce 
gloomy  forebodings,  not  for  the  safety  of  the  post, 
but  for  that  of  the  scattered  settlers.  There  were 
not  enough  troops  in  Arizona  to  handle  a  general 
outbreak,  and  it  could  not  be  determined  just  what 
tribes  were  implicated  in  the  revolt.  The  first  thing 
necessary  was  to  open  communication.  This  was 
accomplished  by  sending  Lieutenant  Stanton,  with 
thirty-three  men,  to  Fort  Thomas.  That  part  of 
the  road  which  was  in  the  mountains  was  covered 
in  the  night,  and  the  balance  of  the  seventy  miles 
was  made  during  the  following  day.  General  Carr's 
command  had  been  reported,  for  several  days,  as 
massacred  and  the  papers  of  the  entire  country 
were  filled  with  dire  forebodings  as  to  the  results 
of  this  outbreak.  The  news  carried  by  Lieutenant 
Stanton  was  the  first  to  lift  the  cloud  from  the 
grief-stricken  relatives  and  friends  of  the  Fort 
Apache  garrison. 

Troops  were  hurried  towards  Arizona  from  east 
and  west,  and  the  available  portion  of  the  regiment 
was  moved  promptly  to  the  reservation,  in  the 
vicinity  of  which  the    Indians    in    revolt    were   lurk- 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  221 

ing.  Lieutenant  G.  E.  Overton  was  ordered  from 
Fort  Thomas  to  overtake  B,  C  and  F  troops  and 
a  company  of  scouts  which  crossed  the  Gila,  Sep- 
tember 1st,  and  go  to  the  reHef  of  Fort  Apache. 
Troop  A  crossed  to  go  with  the  column  but  was 
recalled  and  sent  to  the  agency  at  San  Carlos. 
On  September  3d  the  department  commander  be- 
came uneasy  and  ordered  Major  Biddle  to  join 
this  column  and  halt  it  until  enough  force  could 
be  brought  up  to  make  a  sure  fight.  He  started 
with  M  troop  and  arrived  at  Black  river  during  the 
evening  of  September  i6th,  but  could  not  cross  for 
three  days  on  account  of  high  water,  the  Indians 
having  destroyed  the  ferry. 

Lieutenant  Overton's  column  reached  Fort  Apache 
and  enabled  General  Carr  to  relieve  the  strain 
created  by  the  feeling  of  being  in  a  state  of  siege. 
To  do  this  he  sent  out  troops  each  day  to  scout 
the  surrounding  country  and  to  bury  the  dead  along 
the  roads.  Lieutenant  Overton  had  some  doubts 
about  the  loyalty  of  the  scouts  attached  to  his  com- 
mand, and  on  September  5th  was  given  this  order 
by  General  Carr : 

"  After  your  statement  of  yesterday  evening,  the  Colonel 
Commanding  directs  that  you  take  out  to-morrow  part  of 
your  Indian  scouts,  say  five.  Take  Lieutenant  Clarke  with 
guide  and  soldiers,  and  have  the  scouts  carefully  watched  and 
killed  if  treacherous,  but  caution  the  men  not  to  kill  them 
unjustly.     The  rest  will  be  left  in  camp  and  watched  here." 


2  22  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO, 

Lieutenant  Overton  went  out  on  the  road  through 
the  canon  to  Turkey  Creek,  and  his  men  buried 
three  soldiers  and  five  civiHans,  who  had  been  killed 
when  the  Indians  had  attacked  the  post,  and  before 
the  people  had  become  aware  of  the  outbreak. 
The  fact  was  developed  that  when  the  Indians  cut 
off  communication,  they  fortified  various  places 
along  the  road  with  a  view  to  preventing  relief 
from  reaching  Fort  Apache.  Overton's  column,  in 
going  to  the  post,  left  the  road  at  Black  river  and 
crossed  the  mesa  in  a  direct  line,  avoiding  the 
usual  route. 

The  revolting  Indians  undoubtedly  made  their 
attack  at  Cibicu  under  the  spur  of  the  Medicine 
Man's  harangue,  and  the  excitement  incident  to  his 
arrest,  but  they  had  counted  for  some  time  upon 
a  general  uprising  of  several  thousand  Apaches, 
as  well  as  the  Navajo  nation.  The  failure  of 
the  other  Indians  to  join  them  in  revolt,  left  them 
powerless  to  confront  all  the  troops  marching  into 
the  country,  and  they  withdrew  into  the  almost 
inaccessible  mountains  surrounding  their  reservation. 

Columns  were  started  towards  the  Cibicu  coun- 
try from  various  posts,  but  as  this  region  was  a 
part  of  the  reservation,  it  was  necessary  to  draw  a 
peace  line  near  the  agency  in  order  to  avoid  any 
conflict  with  friendly  Indians.  When  the  line  was 
announced,   five  days  were  given  for  the  Indians  to 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  223 

remove  their  families  within  the  safety  limits.  When 
the  time  expired,  September  21st,  not  only  friendly 
Indians,  but  the  main  body  of  the  hostiles  them- 
selves slipped  in,  and  Sanchez  and  other  chiefs 
began  negotiating  for  surrender. 

The  column  under  General  Carr  proceeded  first 
to  the  scene  of  the  fight  at  Cibicu  Creek,  and  found 
the  Indians  had  decamped,  leaving  two  squaws 
behind  who  were  too  old  to  travel.  The  bodies  of 
the  dead  had  been  exhumed  and  were  reburied  by 
the  troops.  This  column  then  marched,  under 
orders,  for  the  head  of  the  San  Carlos  river,  to 
drive  in  a  band  of  Indians  which  had  failed  to 
come  within  the  prescribed  peace  limits.  After  a 
rough  march  through  a  difficult  country,  the  Indians 
were  discovered  located  on  a  range  of  hills,  and  were 
promptly  charged  and  sent  scampering  towards  the 
agency. 

This  column  stopped  outside  the  peace  lines,  but 
received  orders  in  the  night  to  move  to  the  vicinity 
of  the  agency  and  be  ready  to  arrest  the  hostiles 
in  their  camp  at  daylight,  in  conjunction  with  two 
troops  of  the  First  Cavalry,  under  Major  Sanford. 
The  column  arrived  at  the  Indian  camp,  and  when 
daylight  appeared,  and  while  waiting  for  Major 
Sanford's  command,  the  Indians  were  observed 
stealing  away — one  or  two  at  a  time.  General 
Carr  gave   the  order  to   surround   the   camp.     This 


224  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

was  promptly  done,  and  an  interpreter  sent  to  order 
all  the  Indians  to  come  out  and  fall  in.  The  oper- 
ation resulted  in  the  capture  of  forty-seven  war- 
riors. Major  Sanford  arrived  with  his  command 
soon  after,  when  the  Indians  were  confined  in  a 
school  building. 

Major  Biddle  had  been  ordered  with  a  column 
from  Fort  Thomas  to  the  sub-agency,  to  arrest  hos- 
tile Coyoteros,  but  the  movement  resulted  in  an 
outbreak  of  the  Chiricauhuas,  who  had  been  moved 
to  that  point  in  1875  and  had  been  made  desperate 
by  their  treatment  since. 

At  this  juncture  General  MacKenzie  arrived  from 
New  Mexico  with  part  of  the  Fourth  Cavalry,  and 
assumed  command  of  field  operations,  relieving  the 
department  commander. 

Lieutenant  Overton,  with  A  and  F  troops,  was 
ordered  from  Fort  Thomas  on  the  Chiricauhua 
trail,  which  led  straight  south,  on  account  of  their 
knowing  that  all  the  troops  were  north  of  them. 
Major  Sanford,  with  two  troops  of  the  First  Cav- 
alry in  charge  of  the  Indian  prisoners,  was  started 
on  the  main  road  in  the  same  direction.  The  flee- 
ing Indians  met  a  contractor's  train  near  Cedar 
Springs,  killed  the  teamsters  and  a  fine  young 
Mexican,  Samaniego  by  name,  and  who  had  had 
charge  of  the  transportation  of  the  regiment  from 
Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico,  to  Tucson,  six  years  before. 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  225 

Lieutenant  Overton,  with  his  small  command  fol- 
lowing the  trail,  reached  Cedar  Springs  just  as  the 
presence  of  the  Indians  had  been  discovered  by  the 
two  troops  of  the  First  Cavalry,  escorting  the  In- 
dian prisoners  from  Fort  Thomas.  Major  G.  B. 
Sanford  assumed  command  and,  detaching  one  troop 
of  the  First  to  guard  the  prisoners,  proceeded  at  a 
trot  on  the  trail. 

After  passing  the  pillaged  wagon  train,  Lieutenant 
Overton  asked  permission  to  move  ahead  more 
rapidly,  because  the  trail  was  following  the  main 
road,  direct  to  Camp  Grant,  where  the  families  of 
the  officers  and  married  soldiers  had  been  left  with- 
out adequate  protection.  Major  Sanford  approved 
the  request,  and  the  two  Sixth  Cavalry  troops  took 
the  gallop,  and  a  short  distance  beyond  the  pillaged 
wagon  train,  discovered  the  bodies  of  a  detachment 
which  had  come  out  to  repair  the  telegraph  line 
and  had  just  been  killed.  While  examining  to  see 
who  the  dead  men  were,  the  Indians  opened  fire 
from  the  front  and  left,  where  they  held  a  very 
strong  position   in  the  rocks  and   timber. 

The  two  troops  of  the  Sixth  were  dismounted  and 
moved  against  the  Indian  position.  The  troop  of  the 
First  moved,  mounted,  against  the  Indians'  right  flank, 
which  was  posted  on  a  hill,  and  drove  them  back. 
The  entire  line  pushed  forward,  driving  the  Indians 
toward  Mount  Graham,  where  they  took  up  a  strong 
15 


2  26  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

position  which  they  held  until  about  9  p.  m.,  a  heavy 
fire  being  kept  up  all  the  time.  Captain  R.  F. 
Bernard  had  assumed  command  because  of  Major 
Sanford's  illness,  which  compelled  him  to  withdraw 
to  the  train.  About  8  p.  m.,  the  Indians  charged 
the  left  flank,  but  withdrew  under  heavy  fire. 

The  Indians  went  up  on  the  mountain  and  passed 
around  the  right  flank  in  the  darkness.  The  com- 
mand was  withdrawn  and  moved  into  Camp  Grant, 
arriving  after  midnight.  Lieutenant  Blocksom  joined 
the  command  about  8  p.  m.,  with  fifteen  men  from 
Camp  Grant,  and  participated  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  engagement. 

Captain  Bernard  marched  to  Willcox  station  next 
day  and  left  there  on  the  following  morning,  October 
4th,  1 88 1,  to  cut  the  trail  of  the  still  fleeing  In- 
dians. During  the  day  the  column  overtook  Cap- 
tain Carroll  and  two  troops  of  the  Ninth  Cavalry 
which  had  been  brought  by  rail  from  New  Mexico, 
and  were  then  on  the  east  side  of  the'^ragoons  ^'"^V 
following  the  fresh  trail  of  the  Chiricauhuas,  who 
were  but  a  short  distance  ahead.  The  six  troops 
took  up  a  gallop  over  the  rough  hills,  attacked  the 
Indians  and  drove  them  to  the  mountains,  where 
they  took  up  a  very  strong  position  in  the  rocks 
near  the  South  Pass.  The  troops  were  placed,  just 
before  dark,  in  a  semi-circle  around  the  mountain 
position. 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  22/ 

At  daylight  the  troops  pushed  up  to  the  position 
and  found  the  Indians  had  escaped  over  the  moun- 
tain. The  troops  followed  into  the  San  Pedro 
Valley,  passing  about  six  miles  from  Tombstone, 
then  east  through  Mule  Pass,  across  Sulphur  Spring 
Valley,  thence  through  the  southern  end  of  the 
Chiricauhuas,  over  the  plains  of  San  Bernardino, 
and  through  the  Guadaloupe  Mountains  into  Mexico. 

This  pursuit  was  conducted  through  heavy  rains, 
which  caused  the  Indians  to  abandon  many  horses 
and  mules,  and  much  plunder,  but  as  they  were 
able  to  change  horses,  it  was  impossible  for  troops 
to  overtake  them.  Four  Indians  were  captured, 
one  killed  and  a  few  wounded.  This  band  reached 
the  Sierra  Madre  Mountains,  their  old  hiding  place 
in  Mexico,  and  lived  to  harass  the  border  for  many 
years.  The  escape  of  these  Indians  seemed  mirac- 
ulous, for,  besides  the  troops  hot  on  their  trail, 
other  commands  were  sent  down  on  both  sides  of 
the  Chiricauhua  Mountains,  through  which  the  whole 
band  passed.  The  Indians  had  been  pushed  so 
hard,  and  had  lost  so  much  stock,  it  was  concluded 
they  would  not  require  watching  for  some  time,  so 
the  various  columns  returned  with  a  view  to  aiding 
in  settling  with  the  other  tribes. 

The  rapidity  with  which  reenforcements  had  been 
brought  into  the  department,  and  the  failure  of  the 
revolt  to  enlist  any  but  a  few  White  Mountain   and 


2  28  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

Chlricauhua  adherents,  resulted  in  the  surrender  of 
most  of  those  engaged  in  the  Cibicu  affair,  except 
the  scouts.  Three  of  these  surrendered  at  San 
Carlos,  Sergeant  Dead  Shot,  Sergeant  Dandy  Jim 
and  Corporal  Skippy.  Their  immediate  confinement 
and  subsequent  trial  by  court  martial,  made  rene- 
gades of  all  the  others.  The  three  were  tried,  found 
guilty  of  mutiny,  murder  and  desertion  to  the  enemy 
in  battle,  and  were  hung  at  Fort  Grant,  Arizona, 
March  3d,   1882. 

The  movement  of  all  the  troops  of  the  regiment 
in  this  short  and  sharp  campaign,  have  not  been 
followed.  All  were  kept  constantly  active,  but  some 
did  not  meet  the  Indians  in  battle  although  their 
service  was  as  arduous  as  that  of  the  troops  which 
did.  The  events  leading  up  to  the  Cibicu  fight,  and 
subsequent  operations,  have  been  described  quite 
minutely  because  of  the  after  controversy  and  ridicu- 
lous charges  made  concerning  the  conduct  of  affairs 
at  that  time. 

The  year  following  the  Cibicu  outbreak,  was  one 
filled  with  much  hard  scouting.  The  Chiricauhuas, 
under  Chief  Loco,  made  one  of  their  periodical  out- 
breaks from  the  reservation  in  the  spring,  and 
startinof  for  Mexico,  left  a  trail  of  blood  almost  un- 
precedented.  Troops  at  once  started  from  all  the 
posts,  and  Lieutenant  G.  H.  Sands,  with  a  few 
men  from  Fort  Thomas,    overtook    the    rear    guard 


ARIZONA — THE    LAND    OF   THE    APACHES.  229 

before  they  were  well  clear  of  the  reservation  and 
exchanged  a  few  shots. 

Many  troops  were  on  the  trail,  but  Captain  T. 
C.  Tupper,  who  was  sent  by  rail  to  the  San  Simon 
Valley  and  was  joined  next  day  by  Captain  W.  A. 
Rafferty,  was  the  successful  pursuer.  The  two  troops 
and  two  companies  of  scouts,  all  much  reduced  in 
numbers,  moved  out  on  the  scattered  trails,  which 
were  very  confusing,  and  followed  southeast  towards 
the  Mexican  line.  On  April  27th  the  column  reached 
a  canon  on  the  east  side  of  the  Animas  Mountains, 
when  it  became  apparent  the  Indians  were  not  far 
ahead.  Guide  Al.  Sieber,  with  some  selected  scouts, 
was  sent  forward  at  dusk,  followed  later  by  the 
other  scouts.  About  8  p.  m.,  the  cavalry  left  the 
camp,  leaving  the  pack  trains  on  herd  and  with 
orders  for  the  guard  to  keep  up  the  fires  for  the 
usual  length  of  time,  to  deceive  the  Indians. 

The  Indians  were  found  about  eight  miles  away, 
camped  in  a  strong,  natural  fortification.  Scouts 
crept  in  to  make  sure  they  were  there,  and  then 
all  the  Indian  scouts  were  sent  up  the  mountain 
side  above  the  hostiles.  The  cavalry  led  their  horses 
by  a  circuitous  route  around  the  lower  side  of  the 
position,  with  the  understanding  that  at  dawn  the 
scouts  should  open  the  fight  and  the  cavalry  then 
close  in  from  below.  The  plan  was  carried  out, 
and  as  the  cavalry  moved  nearly  a  mile  at  a  charge 


230  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

up  to  and  through  the  Indian  herd,  it  passed  over 
ground  swept  by  fire  from  both  sides.  A  volley 
was  poured  into  Captain  Rafferty's  troop  at  close 
range,  but  the  Indians  fired  high.  Both  troops 
were  in  a  similarly  exposed  situation  and  had  to 
be  quickly  withdrawn.  A  large  number  of  Indians 
occupied  a  spur  of  rocks  and  controlled  the  open 
ground  for  several  hundred  yards. 

Lieutenant  Touey  was  sent  to  cut  out  the  herd 
and  succeeded,  losing  one  man  killed,  in  the  dash 
for  the  animals.  The  fight  was  kept  up  until  noon 
when  it  became  apparent  that  the  small  command 
could  not  dislodge  twice  their  numbers  from  one 
of  nature's  strongholds.  Instead  of  riding  the  In- 
dians down,  it  became  a  serious  question  as  to  how 
to  withdraw.  The  scouts  succeeded  in  getting 
around  to  the  pack  trains,  and  as  the  lines  fell 
back,  the  hostiles  swarmed  out  of  the  rocks  and 
began  catching  up  stock. 

About  this  time  it  was  discovered  that  two  boxes 
of  ammunition  had  been  left  on  the  ground  less 
than  six  hundred  yards  from  the  Indian  position.  G 
troop  was  deployed  and  moved  up  again  in  skir- 
mish line,  when  the  ammunition  was  recovered  and 
packed  on  a  mule. 

The  command  was  in  Mexico  and  now  moved 
back  toward  the  border,  about  ten  miles,  to  water. 
Colonel    Forsyth    was    met   here    with   a  number  of 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  23  I 

troops  of  the  Fourth  Cavalry  and  Gordon's  troop  of 
the  Sixth,  which  had  been  picked  up  on  the  trail. 
The  following  day  the  united  command  moved  back 
to  the  scene  of  the  previous  day's  fight  and  found 
the  enemy  had  abandoned  the  position,  leaving 
twenty  saddles,  much  plunder,  and  even  ammuni- 
tion. About  twenty  horses  had  been  killed,  besides 
the  herd  of  seventy-four  captured.  Twelve  warriors 
and  several  squaws  were  killed  in  the  fight,  and 
eight  more  dead  were  found  who  had  died  along 
the  trail  from  wounds  received  in  the  action. 

The  hostile  Indians  had  started  from  their  strong- 
hold about  dark,  and  early  next  morning,  April 
29th,  while  crossing  a  level  plain  in  their  flight, 
encountered  a  regiment  of  Mexican  infantry,  under 
Colonel  Garcia,  which  happened,  through  accident, 
to  be  in  that  vicinity  changing  station.  A  fight  to 
the  death  ensued ;  the  Indians  were  at  a  great  dis- 
advantage, being  not  only  exhausted  by  their  long 
flight  from  the  reservation,  but  further  crippled  by 
their  wounded  and  recent  loss  of  horses  in  the 
fight  of  the  previous  day.  The  Mexicans  killed 
seventy-eight  and  captured  about  thirty  squaws  and 
children.  A  great  many  squaws  were  killed  in  the 
melee.  About  thirty  or  forty  warriors  escaped. 
Chief  Loco's  son  was  killed  in  the  Tupper  fight. 
The  Mexicans  lost  about  twenty  men  killed  and 
nearly    forty   wounded.       This    recalls    the    fate    of 


232  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

Victorio's  band,  which,  after  several  years  of  mag- 
nificent strategy,  that  kept  twenty  times  its  numbers 
employed  constantly  in  the  field,  fleeing  from  the 
cordon  of  troops  from  Arizona,  New  Mexico  and 
Texas  gradually  closing  around  them,  sought  safety 
across  the  border  only  to  rush  into  the  arms  of 
Mexican  troops,  who  avenged  their  long-suffering 
borderers  by  annihilating  the  Indians. 

The  extermination  of  Loco's  band  released  the 
troops  temporarily  from  the  field  and  they  made 
their  way  back  to  their  respective  posts  by  easy 
stages,  for  the  animals  were  so  much  run  down  by 
constant  marching  without  forage  that  many  were 
barely  able  to  drag  themselves  along  the  trail. 

Serious  trouble  arose  on  the  San  Carlos  Reser- 
vation early  in  July,  resulting  on  the  6th  in  the 
killing  of  Colvig,  chief  of  the  agency  scouts,  and 
three  Indian  policemen.  Colvig  was  the  civilian 
sent  with  despatches  to  overtake  General  Carr's 
command  on  the  trail  to  Cibicu  Creek,  and  subse- 
quently was  known  as  Cibicu  Charley.  For  several 
days  it  was  not  known  whether  it  was  an  outbreak 
of  the  usual  kind  or  merely  one  of  the  murderous 
affrays  common  on  the  reservation.  All  doubt  was 
removed,  on  July  8th,  when  the  Indians  attacked 
McMillenville,  an  isolated  mining  village  north  of 
the  reservation.  The  renegades  were  led  by  Nanti- 
atish  and  Sanchez,  and  included    a    number   of  the 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  "2  T^T, 

scouts  who  mutinied  at  Cibicu  creek.  They  made  a 
dash  across  Tonto  Basin  in  the  direction  of  the 
Black  Mesa,  and  it  was  rumored  that  they  were 
taking  the  trail  towards  the  Navajo   country. 

Troops  were  immediately  ordered  from  Forts 
Apache,  McDowell,  Thomas  and  Whipple,  widely 
separated  posts,  with  a  wilderness  of  canons  and 
rough  mountains  intervening.  Captain  A.  R. 
Chaffee,  Sixth  Cavalry,  struck  the  trail  first,  but 
the  other  columns  were  not  very  far  behind,  al- 
though they  had  been  several  days  marching  over 
extremely  difficult  country,  guided  only  by  occa- 
sional reports  of  outrages  and  thefts  committed. 

On  the  morning  of  July  17th,  Captain  Chaffee 
arrived  at  General's  Springs,  at  the  summit  of  the 
Black  Mesa,  and  found  the  Indians  had  camped 
there  the  previous  night.  Sending  a  courier  back 
and  leaving  a  note  on  a  bush  at  the  spring  to 
notify  other  troops,  he  pushed  rapidly  on  the  trail. 
The  courier  on  the  back  trail  soon  encountered 
the  column  from  Fort  Apache,  consisting  of  E  and 
K  troops  of  the  Sixth,  and  two  troops  of  the 
Third.  Major  Evans,  who  was  in  command,  im- 
mediately detached  the  advanced  troop  of  the 
Third,  under  Lieutenant  Converse,  to  move  for- 
ward rapidly  as  a  reenforcement,  in  case  the 
Indians  should  be  overtaken  before  the  column 
could  arrive. 


234  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

Captain  Chaffee  overtook  the  Indians  about  3  p.  m., 
and  had  just  formed  his  skirmish  line  when  the 
column  under  Major  Evans  arrived.  Although  the 
senior  officer  of  all  the  troops  in  the  field,  Major 
Evans  generously  placed  his  own  command  at 
Captain  Chaffee's  disposal,  and  directed  him  to 
proceed  with  the  attack  as  planned. 

The  Indians  occupied  a  strong  position  across  a 
deep  caiion  with  numerous  small  canons  running 
back  on  the  side  occupied  by  them.  The  canon 
was  covered  with  a  growth  of  heavy  timber.  A 
party  of  scouts  was  sent  around  to  get  in  rear  of 
the  hostiles  and  the  fight  opened  in  single  shots 
and  then  volleys.  The  reverberation  from  the  rock 
walls  of  the  canons  added  to  the  noise  of  battle. 
The  hostiles  fired  from  behind  breastworks  and 
trees,  and  the  troopers  were  compelled  to  fight 
dismounted,  from  cover  to  cover. 

Captain  Abbot,  with  a  small  squadron,  consisting 
of  K  troop  of  the  Sixth,  Lieutenant  Hodgson,  and 
D  troop  of  the  Third,  both  troops  much  reduced 
by  pack-train  guards  and  horse-holders,  was  sent 
across  the  ravine  to  the  left,  and  after  a  spirited 
movement  effectually  covered  the  right  flank  of  the 
Indians.  Lieutenant  Converse,  in  leading  I  troop 
of  the  Third  down  the  trail  to  join  this  movement, 
was  seriously  wounded.  Captain  Abbot  gradually 
worked  this   flanking  command   to   the    left,  driving 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF   THE    APACHES.  235 

the  hostiles  from  their  rifle-pits  and  connected  his 
Hne  with  that  of  the  scouts.  Lieutenant  West  was 
sent  across  the  canon  on  the  rig-ht  flank  with  I 
troop.  This  force  being  unable  to  accompHsh  the 
object.  Captain  Kramer  was  sent  across  with  E 
troop  to  reenforce  this  part  of  the  Hne.  Finally, 
about  dark,  after  very  heavy  firing,  Captain  Abbot 
succeeded  in  joining  his  line  to  that  of  Captain 
Kramer,  which  crossed  on  the  other  flank,  and  thus 
hemmed  the  Indians  in  a  ravine  where  they  had 
sought  refuge  after  abandoning  the  position  about 
their  camp. 

Captain  Kramer  advanced  on  the  right  and  drove 
the  Indians  from  their  rifle-pits  on  that  flank.  The 
camp  was  across  and  partly  in  a  side  ravine  which 
was  charged  and  captured  by  Lieutenant  Cruse 
with  E  troop.  The  Indians  now  retreated  to  the 
central  ravine,  leaving  their  herd  in  the  hands  of 
the  troops.  At  this  time  a  party  of  Indians  who 
had  gotten  out  opened  fire  on  the  rear  of  the 
troops. 

The  conditions  were  now  such  that  there  was 
grave  danger  of  the  troops  firing  into  one  another. 
The  voice  of  a  chief  was  heard  loudly  giving 
orders  to  the  hostiles.  There  were  many  breaks 
in  the  line,  and  the  wounded  troopers  were  being 
removed  with  great  difficulty.  Under  the  circum- 
stances   the    lines    were    drawn     back    across    the 


236  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

canon,  except  Lieutenant  Johnson  and  a  few  men 
who,  through  some  oversight,  were  left  all  night 
on  the  Indians'  side  of  the  field. 

Other  troops  arrived  during  the  night,  and  next 
morning  there  were  twelve  cavalry  troops  assembled 
on  the  scene  from  four  posts — a  remarkable  con- 
centration of  scouting  columns  all  in  search  of  the 
same    marauders. 

The  scouts  crossed  the  canon  and  found  the 
hostiles  had  fled,  abandoning  everything  and  leav- 
ing six  prisoners  in  the  hands  of  the  troops  and 
sixteen  dead  upon  the  field.  A  severe  hail  storm 
set  in,  lasting  four  hours,  which  covered  the  trail 
so  completely  as  to  prevent  pursuit.  The  troops 
remained  two  days  near  the  scene  of  the  fight. 
Litters  were  made  and  the  wounded  transported 
by  hand  eight  miles,  back  to  the  open  country 
where  ambulances  could  reach  them. 

The  fight  took  place  at  the  Big  Dry  Wash,  a 
branch  canon  of  Chevelon's  Fork  of  the  Little 
Colorado  river.  Seventy  horses,  fifty  saddles  and 
much  camp  plunder  were  captured.  Among  the  dead 
were  two  of  the  renegade  scouts  who  mutinied  in 
the  Cibicu  fight.  Forty-two  horses  and  mules  were 
returned  to  owners,  who  reclaimed  them  as  having 
been  recently  stolen.  The  troops  lost  one  man 
killed,  seven  wounded  and  two  officers  of  the 
Third  Cavalry,   Lieutenants    Converse  and  Morgan, 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF   THE    APACHES.  237 

wounded.  The  rugged  nature  of  this  part  of  the 
Mogollon  mountains  prevented  the  hostiles  from 
being  again  brought  to  bay,  and  they  escaped  to 
the  various  Indian  camps  about  the  reservations, 
where  they  were  secreted  by  tlieir  kindred. 

Throughout  1882  and  1883,  the  Chiricauhuas 
raided  incessantly  from  their  safe  retreats  in  the 
Sierra  Madre,  in  Mexico,  and  this  condition  of 
things  kept  the  whole  border  country  in  a  state 
of  turmoil,  notwithstanding  many  towns  of  consid- 
erable size  had  grown  up  around  the  rich  mines, 
which  had  been  recently  discovered  and  developed 
after  the  removal  of  the  Chiricauhua  tribe  from 
their  old  reservation  on  the  border. 

General  George  Crook,  who  had  commanded 
the  Department  ten  years  before  and  to  whose 
skill  and  knowledge  of  Indians  the  country  owed 
its  first  taste  of  peace,  as  a  result  of  his  opera- 
tions against  the  Apaches  during  1871-72  and  '^2)^ 
was  again  assigned  to  command.  He  made  a  tour 
through  the  Apache  reservations  in  the  unostenta- 
tious way  which  characterized  everything  he  did. 
He  sent  for  the  renegade  White  Mountain  Apaches, 
who  had  been  outlaws  since  the  Cibicu  trouble, 
and  again  took  them  into  his  confidence.  As  a 
result  of  his  tour  he  concluded  that  there  was  only 
one  way  to  end  a  condition  which  kept  the  reser- 
vations perpetually  in   turmoil,  and  that  was   to  go 


238  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

to  the  fountain  source  and  crush  the  Chirlcauhuas 
or  bring  them  in. 

During  the  winter  he  caused  a  large  force  of 
Indian  scouts  to  be  enlisted  and  had  supplies  pre- 
pared for  extended  field  operations.  The  Indian 
scouts  were  assembled  at  San  Bernardino  Ranch, 
under  Captain  Emmet  Crawford,  Third  Cavalry,  and 
Lieutenant  C.  B.  Gatewood,  Sixth  Cavalry.  Captain 
A.  R.  Chaffee  was  ordered  to  report  there  also 
with  his  Troop  I,  this  being  the  only  force  except 
scouts. 

General  Crook  took  command  of  the  expedition 
and  started  across  the  Mexican  line  May  ist,  1883. 
The  command  arrived  on  the  Bavispe  river  on 
May  1 2th,  when  Captain  Crawford  and  Lieutenant 
Gatewood  went  ahead  with  the  scouts  and  struck 
the  hostiles  on  the  15th,  killing  nine,  capturing  five 
and  wounding  a  number.  Captain  Chaffee  was 
ordered  forward  to  cooperate,  but  the  fight  was 
practically  over  before  the  troop  could  reach  the 
field.  The  Indians  subsequently  sent  in  word  that 
they  wished  to  surrender.  Upon  doing  so,  the  com- 
mand returned  slowly  to  the  border  and  rejoined 
the  supply  camp  at  Silver  Creek,  June  loth,  and 
one  month  later  I  troop  returned  to  its  post.  The 
command  had  marched  nine  hundred  miles  and 
brought  in  four  hundred  hostile  Indians  who  had 
surrendered  to  General  Crook. 


ARIZONA THE    LAND    OF    THE    APACHES.  239 

Upon  the  grave  of  this  loyal,  sincere,  unassum- 
ing and  accomplished  soldier,  whose  body  lies  in 
honored  rest  at  the  crest  of  the  "  Distinguished 
Generals'  Hill "  in  beautiful  Arlington,  there  is  a 
tombstone,  erected  by  his  loving  comrades,  upon 
the  face  of  which  appears  in  bronze  a  group 
consisting  of  General  Crook,  the  officers,  guides 
and  chiefs  who  accompanied  him  on  this  campaign 
into  Mexico. 

During  the  ensuing  year  there  was  a  state  of 
comparative  peace,  which  simply  means  that  all  the 
troops  were  not  in  the  field  all  the  time. 

During  its  nine  years  service  in  Arizona — the 
usual  tour  for  a  cavalry  regiment  on  that  station 
is  three  years — the  hardest  service  was  the  incessant 
detached  duty.  This  was  good  training  for  the 
men,  however,  for  it  developed  a  large  number  of 
self-reliant  and  courageous  frontiersmen  amongst 
them,  which  immensely  increased  their  value  as 
soldiers. 

The  difficulty  of  keeping  the  regiment  supplied 
with  recruits  in  that  far-away  country,  together  with 
the  necessity  for  many  small  detachments,  caused 
the  troops  to  take  the  field  habitually  with  an 
average  strength  of  less  than  forty  men. 

Not  including  the  long  journeys  with  Indian 
scout  companies,  escorts  with  public  funds,  mails, 
paymasters  and  other  officers,  the  average  distance 


240 


FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 


marched  by  all  the  troops  of  the  regiment  for  the 
nine  years,  was  6,419  miles  ;  the  greatest  number 
of  miles  marched  during  the  period  was  8,514,  by 
troop  A. 


NEW    MEXICO. 


241 


CHAPTER   X. 

New  Mexico. 

Change  of  Station  but  not  of  Duties — Distribution  of  Regi- 
ment— Improving  Posts — Chiricauhuas  again  leave  Reserva- 
tion IN  Arizona — Enter  New  Mexico — Pursuit — Crawford's 
First  Expedition — ^Josanie's  remarkable  Raid — Guarding  the 
Border  during  Crawford's  Second  Expedition — Death  of 
Crawford — Renegades  seek  Conference — Surrender  to  Gen- 
eral Crook — Prisoners  sent  to  Florida — Geronimo  and 
Natchez  Stampede — Pursuit — General  Miles  relieves  Gen- 
eral Crook — Gatewood  enters  Geronimo's  Camp  and  induces 
Surrender — Hardships,  scouting  for  Apaches — Special  Men- 
tion— Inaugurating  New  Methods  of  Cavalry  Instruction — 
Skeleton  Troops. 


.DERS  were  issued  during  the  spring 
of  1883  for  the  regiment  to  ex- 
change stations  with  the  Fourth 
Cavah'v  in  New  Mexico,  a  very 
shght  change  considering  that  the 
regiments  occupying  these  two  sta- 
tions habitually  scouted  over  each 
The  troops  left  their  Arizona 
stations  during  June,  and  marched  to  New  Mexico, 
two  troops  going  by  rail  to  Colorado. 

Upon    arrival    in    New    Mexico,   the    headquarters 
were    located    at    Fort    Bayard,   some    troops    going 
16 


other's    territory. 


242  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

to  Forts  Wingate,  Stanton,  and  Cummings,  New 
Mexico,  and  Fort  Lewis,  Colorado. 

The  regiment  settled  down  to  garrison  life,  build- 
ing quarters,  putting  in  water-works,  and  improving 
the  posts  generally,  which  continued  until  the  spring 
of  1885,  when  nearly  all  the  troops  were  hurried 
to  the  field  in  May,  to  head  off  their  old  enemies, 
the  Arizona  Apaches,  who  broke  away  from  Fort 
Apache  and  fled  towards  Mexico. 

The  wildest  and  most  savage  element  on  the 
Arizona  reservations  included  the  Chiricauhua  bands- 
On  May  17th,  1885,  without  reasonable  grievance, 
Geronimo,  Nana,  Mangus,  Natchez  and  Chihuahua, 
with  nearly  forty  bucks  and  ninety-two  women  and 
children,  fled  from  the  reservation  near  Fort  Apache 
in  Arizona.  The  outbreak  was  preceded  by  a  gen- 
eral "  tizwin  "  debauch.  The  renegades  started  for 
New  Mexico,  and  within  an  hour  after  they  left 
their  camp  at  Turkey  creek,  two  troops  of  the 
Fourth  Cavalry,  under  Captain  Smith,  and  Indian 
scouts  under  Lieutenants  Gatewood,  of  the  Sixth, 
and  Davis,  of  the  Third  Cavalry,  started  in  pursuit. 
Notwithstanding  the  promptness  with  which  the 
pursuit  was  inaugurated  and  the  vigor  with  which 
it  was  maintained,  it  was  impossible  to  overtake 
the  fleeing  renegades,  who  traveled  one  hundred 
and  twenty  miles  before  halting  for  rest  or  food. 

Immediately  after  the  outbreak  was  made  known, 
troops  were  put  in  motion  from  all  available  posts, 


NEW    MEXICO.  243 

in  the  effort  to  intercept  the  hostiles  before  reach- 
ing Mexico. 

The  Indians  directed  their  course  toward  New 
Mexico  and  entered  the  Black  Range,  northwest  of 
Fort  Bayard,  where  the  headquarters  and  four  troops 
of  the  Sixth  were  then  stationed.  These  troops, 
as  well  as  those  of  the  regiment  from  other  New 
Mexican  posts,  were  hurried  to  the  field.  Within 
a  few  days  no  less  than  twenty  troops  of  cavalry 
were  scattered  through  the  country,  yet  the  hostiles 
eluded  them  and  crossed  into  Mexico  on  June  loth, 
notwithstanding  the  pursuers,  men  and  animals,  had 
been  pushed  to  the  limit  of  endurance.  The  hos- 
tiles left  more  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  dead  or 
abandoned  horses  and  mules  along  the  trail. 

Captain  Emmet  Crawford,  Third  Cavalry,  who 
had  reported  to  General  Crook  at  Fort  Bayard, 
the  headquarters  of  the  Sixth  Cavalry,  was  ordered 
to  the  border  with  A  troop  of  the  Sixth,  and  a 
large  detachment  of  Indian  scouts.  Two  small  par- 
ties split  off  from  the  main  body  of  the  hostiles, 
and  one  of  these  struck  Captain  Lawton's  camp 
and  killed  four  men  out  of  seven,  composing  the 
camp  guard,  during  the  absence  of  the  troop. 

Captain  Crawford  took  up  the  main  trail  with 
ninety-two  scouts  and  A  troop,  with  which  were 
Captain  Kendall  and  Lieutenant  Hanna.  The  trail 
was  followed  to  the  Sierra  Madre,  in  Mexico,  a 
distance  of  over  five  hundred  miles. 


244  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

Lieutenant  Gatewood,  Sixth  Cavalry,  enlisted  a 
hundred  more  scouts  at  Fort  Apache  and  went 
back  to  scout  the  Black  Range  and  Mogollon 
country  and  then   joined  the    expedition  to  Mexico. 

During  the  pursuit  of  the  renegades  in  the 
Mexican  mountains,  every  known  water-hole  along 
the  border  was  guarded  by  troops  and  small 
detachments  of  scouts.  Depots  for  supplies  and 
reserve  camps,  in  the  nature  of  a  second  line,  were 
established.  Heliograph  stations  were  put  in  opera- 
tion to  communicate  rapidly  along  the  border,  which 
was  patrolled  incessantly.  A  number  of  troops  of 
cavalry  were  stationed  near  settlements  far  back 
from  the  border,  to  give  protection  in  case  any 
hostiles  succeeded  in  eluding  the  frontier  cordon. 

Captain  Crawford  discovered  a  fresh  trail,  June 
2 2d,  1885,  leading  into  the  Bavispe  Mountains,  and 
sent  Chatto  and  a  body  of  selected  scouts  forward 
to  overtake  and  hold  the  hostiles  until  A  troop 
and  the  other  scouts  could  come  up.  Chatto  dis- 
covered the  rancheria  next  morning  in  such  a 
position  that  it  was  impracticable  to  surround  it,  so 
he  made  the  attack  at  once,  and  in  a  running  fight 
of  several  miles,  captured  fifteen  women  and  children. 
Five  horses,  some  saddles,  revolvers,  belts  and  other 
property,  taken  from  Captain  Lawton's  camp  in 
Guadaloupe  Canon  when  the  guard  was  attacked, 
were    recovered.       One    Indian     was    killed    and    a 


NEW    MEXICO.  245 

number  wounded.  The  band  was  under  Chihuahua, 
whose  family  was  captured. 

All  through  the  summer  the  indefatigable  pursuit 
of  the  hostiles  went  on  in  Mexico.  Early  in 
November  a  party  of  eleven  renegades  scattered 
and  slipped  through  the  cordon  of  frontier  patrols 
in  New  Mexico,  a  part  of  them  only  being  encoun- 
tered by  two  scouts  patrolling  between  water-holes, 
one  of  whom  was  killed.  Much  of  the  preceding 
story  has  been  given  to  show  existing  conditions 
when  this  small  party  of  hostile  raiders  entered 
our  borders.  Their  marvelous  career,  covering  a 
period  of  a  few  weeks,  reads  like  improbable 
romance. 

As  soon  as  they  crossed  the  border,  despatches 
were  sent  to  warn  all  detachments  and  the  whole 
country  was  immediately  on  the  alert,  for  the  raiders 
began  their  murderous  career  soon  after  crossing 
to   the  American   side. 

While  being  pursued  by  troops  from  Fort  Bayard 
and  from  a  camp  of  the  Eighth  Cavalry,  farther 
east,  the  renegades  killed  a  Mexican  boy,  on  the 
Mimbres  River,  and  carried  off  his  brother,  a  lad 
of  about  twelve  years  of  age.  This  child  was  taken 
on  one  of  the  most  successful,  difficult  and  danger- 
ous raids  ever  made  by  Apaches  and  then  carried 
as  a  prisoner  far  down  into  Mexico.  Fie  was 
subsequently  rescued  by  troops  and  restored  to 
his   parents. 


246  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

Pursuit  was  never  relaxed,  yet  this  band  of  dare- 
devils went  as  far  as  the  White  Mountain  reserva- 
tion where  one  of  their  number  was  killed  by  a 
friendly  Indian,  this  being  the  only  loss  sustained 
by  them.  They  then  returned  to  New  Mexico, 
waylaying  and  murdering  with  impartiality.  They 
actually  lay  in  ambush  for  a  troop  of  the  Eighth 
Cavalry  scouting  for  them,  and  killed  Assistant 
Surgeon  Maddox  and  four  men,  riding  at  the  head 
of  the   column,  in   Dry  Creek  Canon,   New  Mexico. 

This  party  of  renegades,  under  the  leadership  of 
Josanie,  a  brother  of  Chihuahua,  crossed  the  border 
early  in  November  and  passed  back  into  Mexico 
before  Christmas,  carrying  several  captives  with 
them,  and  leaving  thirty-eight  known  murders  to 
mark  their  bloody  trail.  The  difficulties  of  the 
situation  can  scarcely  be  comprehended  by  those 
not   familiar   with   the   country. 

This  campaign  of  1885  enforced  upon  the  authori- 
ties the  absolute  necessity  of  ending  these  periodical 
outbreaks.  General  Crook's  labors  had  always  been 
regarded  by  him  as  wanting  fulfillment,  because 
many  years  before,  when  he  had  the  situation  in 
his  grasp  and  the  well-organized  machinery  ready 
to  strike  a  fatal  blow  at  the  power  of  the  Chiri- 
cauhuas,  he  was  halted  in  his  career  by  a  peace 
commission,  a  species  of  mistaken  interference  which 
has  been  frequently  met  with  because  of  the  vacil- 
lating Indian    policy  which   has  always  characterized 


NEW    MEXICO.  247 

the  dealings  of  the  Government  towards  these 
wards  of  the  nation.  Later,  upon  his  return  to 
Arizona,  as  before  shown,  he  went  into  Mexico  and 
brought  about  four  hundred  hostiies  back  to  our 
border.  They  had  not  been  whipped,  however,  and 
it  required  but  Httle  to  send  them  scurrying  back 
to  the   Sierra   Madres,  Hke  a  pack  of  coyotes. 

The  troops  continued  at  their  field  stations,  ex- 
tending from  El  Paso  westward  along  the  border, 
to  guard  the  water-holes  and  follow  every  raiding 
party.  The  Sixth  and  Eighth  Cavalry  guarded  the 
New  Mexican  frontier,  while  the  Fourth  and  Tenth 
occupied  the  Arizona  portion.  Several  infantry 
regiments  also  participated  in  the  campaign,  giving 
protection  to  many  isolated  and  exposed  points. 
Pursuing  columns  were  incessantly  on  the  trail, 
thus  giving  the  hostiies  no  opportunity  to  establish 
themselves  with  any  degree  of  safety. 

On  the  night  of  January  loth.  Captain  Crawford 
attacked  the  main  camp  near  the  Arras  river,  in 
Mexico,  and  captured  all  the  stock  and  supplies 
of  the  hostiies.  The  Indians  asked  for  a  confer- 
ence next  morning,  and  in  anticipation  of  this  the 
command,  consisting  almost  entirely  of  scouts,  laid 
down  for  much  needed  rest  and  did  not  exercise 
the  usual  vigilance. 

Before  daylight  the  scouts,  while  asleep,  were 
attacked  by  one  hundred  and  fifty  Mexicans.  The 
scouts  immediately  jumped    for   cover   and    opened 


248  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

fire.  It  required  all  the  exertions  of  Captain  Craw- 
ford and  his  officers  to  stop  the  firing.  Every 
effort  was  made  to  show  the  Mexicans  the  true 
status  of  affairs.  Captain  Crawford  took  an  ex- 
posed position  on  a  rock,  without  arms,  and  had 
an  interpreter  explain  the  situation.  Suddenly,  and 
without  warning,  a  Mexican  who  had  approached 
within  about  thirty  yards,  fired,  shooting  Captain  Craw- 
ford through  the  head.  The  firing  at  once  became 
general  and  was  only  stopped  when  the  Mexicans 
had  lost  their  commanding  officer  and  second  in 
command.  The  conduct  of  the  Mexicans  throughout 
this  affair  was  reprehensible  in  the  extreme,  and 
filled  the  whole  army  with  a  feeling  of  bitterness. 

Captain  Crawford  was  a  modest,  brave  and 
efficient  soldier,  a  staunch  friend  and  a  typical 
manager  of  men,  either  white  or  Indian.  His  as- 
sassination was  a  crime,  and  the  act  Vv^as  promptly 
disavowed  by  the  Mexican  government. 

The  hostiles  again  asked  for  a  conference,  and 
they  were  met  by  General  Crook  in  the  Canon 
de  las  Embudos,  south  of  the  border,  a  day's 
march  from  San  Bernardino.  The  Indians  were  very 
suspicious  and  demanded  that  the  "Gray  Fox" 
should  pledge  his  word  to  restore  them  to  the 
reservation  as  if  no  outbreak  had  occurred.  Through- 
out the  negotiations  the  Indians  were  kept  in  an 
excited  state  by  a  miserable  wretch  named  Tribolet, 
who    sold    them    whisky   and   boldly   bragged  about 


NEW    MEXICO.  249 

the  profits  of  his  ilHcit  traffic.  General  Crook  finally 
induced  the  hostiles  to  surrender  without  acceding 
to  their  demands  to  be  returned  to  the  reservation, 
and  he  started  back  at  once,  leaving-  the  Indians  to 
be  escorted  on  their  journey  by  officers  and  scouts. 
Geronimo  and  Natchez  stampeded  with  about  thirty- 
five  followers.  The  remainder  arrived  at  Fort  Bowie 
where,  on  April  7th,  1886,  they  were  put  aboard  a 
train  and  sent  to  Fort  Marion,  Florida.  The  party 
included  Chihuahua,  Josanie,  the  leader  of  the  cel- 
ebrated raid  through  New  Mexico  the  previous 
autumn,  and  seventy-five  bucks,  women  and  children. 

This  was  the  entering  wedge  of  the  final  collapse 
of  Apache  hostilities  which  had  so  long  ravaged  the 
border.  Although  only  about  twenty-five  bucks 
were  know  to  be  still  on  the  warpath,  the  troops 
were  kept  in  the  field  and  the  pursuit  continued 
relentlessly. 

General  Miles  was  assigned  to  command,  reliev- 
ing General  Crook,  and  continued  the  field  oper- 
ations with  great  vigor.  After  being  incessantly 
pursued  and  harassed  for  more  than  two  thousand 
miles,  the  Indians  were  finally  induced  to  come  in 
by  Lieutenant  C.  B.  Gatewood,  Sixth  Cavalry,  who, 
at  the  Imminent  risk  of  his  life  and  without  any 
assurance  of  a  peaceable  reception,  rode  into  the 
hostile  camp  accompanied  by  two  friendly  Apaches, 
and  demanded  their  surrender.  He  was  personally 
well    known    to    the    hostiles    through   having   had 


250         FROM  YORKTOWN  TO  SANTIAGO. 

charge  of  them  at  Fort  Apache,  on  the  White 
Mountain  reservation.  ReaHzing  that  troops  were 
always  on  their  trail  and  that  there  was  no  hiding 
place  to  which  the  unerring  eyes  of  the  scouts 
would  not  lead  their  pursuers,  they  agreed  to  sur- 
render. They  took  up  the  trail  to  Arizona,  Cap- 
tain Lawton,  Fourth  Cavalry,  marching  parallel 
with  them  for  eleven  days  to  Skeleton  Canon, 
where,  on  September  4th,  1886,  they  surrendered 
formally  to  the  department  commander,  and  with 
others  of  their  tribe  were  sent  east  for  confinement. 
Scouting  for  Apaches  has  always  been  attended 
with  more  labors  and  difficulties  than  honors  and 
successes.  When  the  question  of  brevet  promo- 
tions for  Indian  service  was  before  the  War  Depart- 
ment, and  recommendations  were  called  for,  one 
of  the  old  officers  of  the  regiment  expressed 
officially  these  views : 

"  Relative  to  the  creditable  and  successful  service  against 
Indians  in  Arizona  during  Apache  outbreaks,  I  am  of  the 
opinion  that  such  service  involved  greater  hardship,  privation, 
endurance,  more  unremitting  and  unceasing  vigilance,  and 
more  harassing  difficulties  of  the  march,  and  generally  for 
longer  periods  of  time  than  any  service  experienced  by  me 
during  the  Civil  War,  with  the  possible  exception  of  the 
Gettysburg  campaign;  this,  too,  with  the  chance  of  irretriev- 
able disaster,  immeasurably  greater,  and  the  hope  of  reward 
infinitely  less." 

At  the  period  when  the  Sixth  entered  on  duty  in 
Arizona,  the    Indians    had  very  generally  been   put 


NEW    MEXICO.  251 

on  the  reservations,  but  small  parties  were  always 
running  away.  General  Crook  had  introduced 
Indian  allies  as  an  element  in  the  warfare,  and  they 
were  invaluable  to  the  troops.  Soon,  however,  it 
dawned  upon  the  cavalrymen  that  the  six-months 
enlistment  periods  had  been  gradually  educating  a 
large  body  of  fine  warriors  to  the  accurate  use  of 
firearms,  and  that  at  each  outbreak  the  Indian 
scouts  were  less  willing  than  before  to  "  go  in " 
without  plenty  of  soldiers.  They  were  smart  enough 
to  see  the  marked  difference  between  rushing  at 
daylight  on  a  rancheria,  which  contained  bows  and 
arrows  and  old-fashioned  guns,  and  an  attack  on  a 
well-planned  camp  where  Winchester  magazine 
rifles  in  the  hands  of  expert  marksmen  peeped  out 
from  every  stone  and  outlying  breastworks  guarded 
every  practicable  approach. 

The  command  of  the  companies  of  Indian  scouts 
usually  devolved  upon  the  young  lieutenants  of  the 
regiment,  and  while  developing  self-reliance,  cool- 
ness and  woodcraft,  the  incessant  exposure  resulted 
disastrously  to  many  of  them. 

Two  of  these  young  officers  deserve  special 
mention — Lieutenant  John  A.  Rucker,  whose  station 
was  always  "  in  the  field,"  and  who,  during  his 
service  with  scouts  followed  nearly  every  hostile 
trail  between  the  Gila  river  and  the  Sierra  Madre 
in  Mexico,  w^ithin  a  few  hours  after  it  was  made,  and 
who  finally  laid  down  his  young  life    in   a   seething 


252  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

mountain  torrent  in  which  no  being  could  Hve  a 
moment,  in  an  unsuccessful  effort  to  save  the  life 
of  his  friend  and  classmate,   Henely. 

The  other — Lieutenant  Charles  B.  Gatewood — 
who  entered  upon  duty  with  the  Apaches  within  a 
few  months  after  joining  the  regiment.  He  saw 
much  active  service  during  the  Victorio  and  other 
Apache  outbreaks,  taking  part  in  several  engage- 
ments in  New  Mexico.  He  was  commended  later 
by  the  Major-General  commanding  the  Army,  for 
his  conduct  in  the  surprise  and  defeat  of  Chatto 
and  Bonito,  and  the  rescue  of  five  captives  near 
the  headwaters  of  the  Bavispe  river,  in  the  Sierra 
Madre,  Sonora,  Mexico.  An  act  which  has  made 
him  known  throughout  the  army  and  the  country 
generally,  and  which  Ned  Casey  probably  had  in 
mind  when  he  was  so  foully  murdered  by  the  Sioux, 
is  thus  mentioned  in  the  recent  general  order  of 
the  War  Department  commending  him  "  for  bravery 
in  boldly  and  alone  riding  into  Geronimo's  camp  of 
hostile  Apache  Indians  in  Arizona,  and  demanding 
their  surrender." 

Victorio  and  Geronimo  were  types  of  the  Apache 
warriors  who,  under  various  local  names,  Chiricau- 
huas,  Mescaleros,  Coyoteros,  etc.,  scourged  the 
southwestern  territory  for  nearly  three  centuries. 
Predatory,  brave,  cruel  and  rapacious,  they  would 
have  been   anomalies    amongst    Plains   Indians   such 


NEW    MEXICO.  253 

as  Red  Cloud  and  Spotted  Tail;  and  Chief  Joseph, 
the  Nez  Perce,  appeared  knightly  in  his  warfare  in 
comparison  with  the  average  Apache  chief. 

That  portion  of  the  regiment,  near  the  reserva- 
tion of  the  Mescaleros,  was  frequently  called  out 
to  keep  these  Apaches  in  order,  for  whenever  any 
of  the  other  Indians  went  on  the  warpath,  they 
could  always  count  upon  receiving  encouragement 
and  recruits  from  this  tribe. 

Those  troops  stationed  at  Fort  Wingate,  on  the 
contrary,  were  more  often  called  to  the  field  to 
prevent  the  white  men  from  encroaching  upon  the 
rights  of  the  Navajos,  Moquis,  Zunis  and  other 
semi-civilized  Indians  located  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
post,  and  some  of  whom  occupied  lands  by  right 
of  inheritance,  dating  back  before  the  Spanish  Con- 
quest. Some  of  the  Spanish  columns  penetrated 
this  section  in  their  northward  march,  for  it  was 
here  that  the  "  Seven  Cities  of  Cibola "  were  sup- 
posed to  be  located. 

Captain  H.  P.  Perrine,  with  Troops  B  and  F, 
which  went  to  Colorado  when  the  regfiment  marched 
to  New  Mexico,  took  the  field  from  Fort  Lewis  in 
pursuit  of  hostile  Utes,  and  engaged  them  July  15th, 
1885,  at  Wormington  Canon.  One  packer  and  one 
volunteer  were  killed. 

There  were  numerous  changes  of  stations  be- 
tween   troops   while   in    New   Mexico,   but    taken   as 


2  54  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

a  whole — after  Geronimo's  band  was  exiled — the 
regiment  never  before  had  so  little  scouting  and 
marching  as  during  the  period  it  occupied  that  Ter- 
ritory. The  time  was  profitably  employed,  however, 
for  the  regiment  had  been  so  continually  engaged 
in  field  operations  in  Arizona,  that  recruits  were 
habitually  sent  to  troop  duty  long  before  they  were 
properly  instructed,  and  squadron  and  regimental 
drills  were  known  only  by  tradition  to  most  of  those 
in  the  regiment. 

Prior  to  leaving  Arizona,  General  McDowell  had 
published  orders  with  a  view  to  encouraging  target 
practice,  mounted  as  well  as  on  foot,  and  had 
directed  that  the  training  of  the  horses  should  be 
made  a  special  feature  of  drills,  particularly  the 
application  of  the  Rarey  system  to  refractory 
"  bronco  "  horses.  The  regiment  took  up  the  work 
in  earnest,  and  the  four  troops  on  duty  at  regi- 
mental headquarters  at  Fort  Bayard,  soon  mas- 
tered the  system  so  thoroughly  that  nearly  all  the 
horses  in  the  squadron  would  lie  down  on  the  line 
and  allow  the  carbines  to  be  fired  over  their  bodies. 
Many  photographs  were  taken  of  the  drills  at  this 
time  for  use  in  illustrated  papers,  and  it  is  believed 
that  this  was  the  first  development  of  what  after- 
wards became  the  practice  throughout  the  cavalry 
arm. 

During   the    lull    in    active  operations  against  the 


NEW    MEXICO. 


255 


Indians,  the  troops  from  distant  posts  were  ordered 
to  simulate  raids  by  pursuing  one  another.  Con- 
siderable hard  riding  resulted  from  the  practice,  and 
doubtless  the  experience  in  the  saddle  was  profit- 
able, especially  to  the  young  officers.  At  all 
events,  some  of  the  work  performed  on  this  duty 
will  rank  creditably  with  the  long-distance  rides 
frequently  indulged  in  by  European  officers. 

The  regiment,  like  all  others,  suffered  a  reduc- 
tion through  the  "  skeletonizing "  of  two  troops. 
The  men  and  horses  were  distributed  amongst  the 
other  troops,  and  two  very  efficient  organizations 
of  the  most  expensive  kind  were  lost  to  the  coun- 
try. There  has  never  been  but  one  opinion  in  the 
line  of  the  army  as  to  "  skeletonizing "  of  organi- 
zations in  the  regular  service,  and  that  was  not 
favorable  to  the  idea. 


256 


FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 


CHAPTER   XL 


Back  to  the  Plains  and  the  Bad  Lands. 


Ordered  to  change  Station — Hurried  Departure — Incidents — 
Eight  Days'  Railroad  Journey  ends  in  Black  Hills — Out- 
fitted FOR  Winter  Campaign — Patrolling  Bad  Lands — 
Effort  to  head  off  Big  Foot's  Band — Merry  Christmas — 
News  of  Wounded  Knee  Fight — Concentration  of  Troops 
— K  Troop  attacked  on  White  River — Regiment  to  the 
Rescue — Closing  in  around  Agency — Indians  Surrender — 
Grand  Review — Escorting  Big  Foot's  Band — Assignment  to 
Stations — Blizzards — Service  in  Yellowstone  Park — Rust- 
ler War — Regiment  preserving  Peace — Indian  Troop — 
Dedication  World's  Fair — Chicago  Strikes — Coxey  Army — 
Change  of  Stations — New  Duties — Character  of  Army 
Instruction — Modern  Exercises — Indian  Fights — Disappear- 
ance of  the  Frontier. 

URING  1890  the  Plains  Indians  caught 
the  Messiah  craze,  and  Ghost  Dances 
were  taken  up  by  many  tribes  from 
the  Indian  Territory  north  to  the 
Canadian  border.  The  regiment 
heard  of  all  these  things,  as  from  a 
far  away  land,  little  dreaming  that 
the  danger  would  grow  to  such  proportions  as  to 
demand  a  call  for  troops  from  distant  stations. 
On  November  23rd,  a  telegraphic  order  came,  as 
from  a  clear  sky,  for  the  regiment  to  prepare  at 
once  for  a  changfe  of  station  and  to  take  the  field 
in   Dakota.  ' 


BACK    TO    THE    PLAINS    AND    THE    BAD    LANDS.       257 

Cars  could  not  be  procured  readily,  for  the  posts 
occupied  by  the  regiment  were  not  in  the  vicinity 
of  railroad  centers.  Travel  rations  were  not  to  be 
had,  so  that  bread  was  baked  and  beef  cooked  for 
the  journey,  but  the  latter  spoiled  and  had  to  be 
thrown  away  en  route,  and  the  food  for  the  men 
provided  out  of  their  own  troop  funds.  The  final 
notice  to  move  arrived  after  midnight,  December 
I  St,  and  all  through  the  night  the  wagons  were  rum- 
bling to  the  station  and  everything  was  ready  to 
load  before  the  cars  arrived.  The  sections  pulled 
out  during  the  day,  and  after  a  long  journey  through 
New  Mexico,  Colorado,  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  the 
regiment  unloaded  at  Rapid  City,  South  Dakota, 
on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Black  Hills,  on  Decem- 
ber 9th. 

During  the  journey  one  of  the  lieutenants  was 
married,  a  child  was  born  on  the  train  to  the  wife 
of  one  of  the  sergeants,  and  another  sergeant,  who 
had  been  brutally  attacked  near  the  railroad  station 
at  La  Junta,  was  left  at  Fort  Logan,  Colorado,  and 
died  in  the  hospital  before  the  regiment  reached 
its  destination. 

The  regiment  found  supplies  awaiting  at  Rapid 
City,  and  also  a  telegram  saying  the  command  was 
to  be  prepared  for  field  service  as  soon  as  possible. 
One  squadron  started  next  day  and  the  others  fol- 
lowed as  fast  as  the  men  could  be  equipped  with 
17 


258  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

winter  clothing.  Only  those  who  have  experienced 
the  rigors  of  winter  on  the  northern  plains  and  in 
the  Bad  Lands  of  Dakota,  can  appreciate  the 
necessity  of  guarding  well  against  disaster.  To 
enable  troops  to  remain  in  the  field  and  ac- 
complish their  work  in  midwinter,  special  clothing 
becomes  a  prime  necessity.  To  meet  these  condi- 
tions the  men  were  supplied  with  fur  caps  and 
gloves,  blanket-lined  canvas  overcoats,  heavy  German 
oversocks  of  felt  or  wool,  and  Arctic  overshoes. 
The  horses  were  provided  with  blanket-lined  canvas 
covers  and  calked  shoes. 

To  the  regiment  was  assigned  the  duty  of  patrol- 
ling the  Cheyenne  River  country,  but  the  necessary 
transportation  had  been  delayed  and  it  was  several 
days  before  the  supplies  and  the  pack  and  wagon 
trains  were  ready  for  the  field.  The  squadrons 
were  at  first  distributed  along  the  Cheyenne  river, 
but,  under  instructions  from  General  Brooke,  were 
assembled  to  meet  a  threatened  attack  from  the 
large  hostile  village  to  the  south,  and  about  which 
a  number  of  regiments  were  drawing  closer  and 
closer  a  cordon  calculated  to  bring  on  battle  or 
cause  a  surrender. 

When  Sitting  Bull  was  killed  and  some  of  his 
followers  made  their  way  to  Big  Foot's  village,  near 
the  Belle  Fourche,  about  forty  miles  to  the  northeast, 
Lieutenant-Colonel    E.  V.  Sumner   was    ordered   to 


Ij 


1    1 


BACK    TO    THE    PLAINS    AND    THE    BAD    LANDS.      259 

take  this  band  of  Indians  to  Fort  Meade,  but  after 
pretending  to  acquiesce  in  the  arrangement  they 
decamped  during  the  night.  About  lo  a.  m.,  De- 
cember 24th,  a  courier  arrived  from  the  Eighth 
Cavalry  camp  with  a  message  from  Colonel  Sum- 
ner, saying  Big  Foot  was  moving  south  on  the 
Deep  Fork  trail  and  would  probably  pass  the  head 
of  Bull  Creek  in  the  Bad  Lands.  General  Carr  had 
been  sending  his  troop  commanders  in  all  directions 
scouting  and  familiarizing  themselves  with  the  trails 
and  it  so  happened  that  F  troop  had  returned  from 
the  Bull  Creek  pass  the  night  previous,  up  to  which 
time  there  were  no  signs  of  Indians  in  that  country. 
General  Carr,  however,  ordered  "  boots  and 
saddles "  sounded,  and  in  half  an  hour  was  forcing 
a  crossing  of  the  Cheyenne  through  floating  ice 
with  four  troops  of  cavalry  and  two  Hotchkiss  guns. 
Nearly  all  the  officers  and  men  hurried  off  with- 
out rations  or  blankets.  The  column  moved  rapidly, 
examining  all  the  trails  and  reached  the  head  of 
Sage  Creek  before  dark,  when  pickets  were  sent 
to  watch  the  pass  toward  which  Big  Foot  was  sup- 
posed to  be  working  his  way.  Two  more  troops 
which  were  absent  from  camp  when  the  column 
started  joined  during  the  night  with  several  guides, 
one  of  whom  was  sent  to  warn  Major  Adam  who 
had  a  squadron  on  White  river  patrolling  to  pre- 
vent parties  of  Indians  from  passing  out  into  the 
Bad  Lands. 


26o  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

The  night,  Christmas  Eve,  was  very  cold  and  the 
alkaUne  pools  in  the  vicinity  were  frozen  solid. 
Those  who  had  brought  any  food  divided  with  the 
others  as  far  as  possible,  but  Christmas  morning 
dawned  upon  a  lot  of  half-frozen,  uncomfortable 
men  who  had  spent  a  cheerless  night,  alternately 
heaping  wood  on  the  fires  and  then  trying  to  sleep 
on  saddle  blankets. 

Christmas  morning,  a  detachment  was  sent  up  on 
"  The  Pinnacle,"  a  high  point  of  wall  in  the  Bad 
Lands,  from  which  the  country  could  be  seen  for 
many  miles.  The  command  examined  the  valley  of 
Bull  Creek  and  made  certain  that  Big  Foot's  band 
had  not  passed  on  that  side  of  the  range.  The 
regiment  returned  to  its  camp  on  the  Cheyenne, 
arriving  after  dark  and  having  marched  more  than 
seventy  miles,  practically  without  food  for  men  or 
horses.  There  was  no  complaint,  however,  for 
every  one  thought  it  would  be  General  Carr's  luck 
to  overhaul  these  Indians,  and  when  the  officers 
and  men  stood  shivering  through  the  night,  many 
were  heard  to  say  good-naturedly  that  it  served 
them  right  for  they  ought  to  have  known  enough 
to  put  some  crackers  and  bacon  in  their  saddle- 
pockets  when  such  an  alarm  for  service  was  sounded. 

On  the  night  of  December  28th,  information  was 
received  that  Major  Whitside  had  captured  Big 
Foot's  band,  and    before    morning    orders    came    to 


BACK    TO    THE    PLAINS    AND    THE    BAD    LANDS.       26 1 

leave  two  troops  to  continue  scouting  the  Bad 
Lands  and  for  the  rest  of  the  command  to  move 
over  the  divide  to  the  mouth  of  Wounded  Knee 
Creek.  F  and  I  troops,  under  Major  Tupper,  were 
detached  to  scout  to  the  north  of  the  big  village  to 
determine  if  any  Indians  were  passing  out. 

During  the  29th,  word  was  flashed  over  the 
heliograph  line,  which  had  been  established  by 
Lieutenant  E.  E.  Dravo,  and  who  had  previously 
had  charge  of  similar  work  in  the  Department  of 
Arizona,  to  the  effect  that  Big  Foot's  band  had 
fought  the  Seventh  Cavalry  with  all  the  dire  results 
now  so  well  known.  The  detached  troops  were 
immediately  ordered  to  concentrate  at  Wounded 
Knee  Creek,  which  was   done  by  forced  marches. 

On  the  afternoon  of  January  ist,  the  pickets 
reported  that  they  could  hear  firing  several  miles 
away  on  White  River.  Troop  K,  of  the  Third 
Squadron  had  not  yet  joined,  and  suspecting  that 
the  Indians  had  attacked  it,  "  boots  and  saddles " 
was  sounded  and  Major  Tupper  with  his  two 
remaining  troops,  F  and  I,  proceeded  at  a  gallop 
through  the  snow,  guided  only  by  the  sound  of  the 
firing.  Arriving  on  the  bluffs  overlooking  White 
River,  Troop  K,  under  Captain  Kerr,  was  seen  with 
the  wagon  train  corraled,  and  the  attacking  Indians 
in  full  view.  Althouorh  the  horses  were  blown  with 
their   run    of  four   or    five    miles    in    the   snow,   the 


262  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

column  pushed  rapidly  across  the  half-frozen  river 
and  formed  line  of  skirmishers  between  K  troop 
and  the  Indians,  who,  notwithstanding  their  taunting 
cries  of  "  come  on,"  gave  away  all  along  their  line, 
and  retreated  in  the  direction  of  the  main  village 
as   soon   as   the  line  advanced  on   them. 

One  party  of  three  Indians,  which  had  crawled 
up  close  to  K  troop,  was  cut  off,  but  by  abandoning 
their  ponies  they  managed  to  creep  away  in  a  gulch 
between  the  lines  and  escaped  into  the  bluffs.  They 
were  greeted  with  many  shots  as  they  emerged 
from  the  river  bottom,  one  being  already  badly 
wounded  and  supported  by  his  comrades.  They 
were  subsequently  found  and  killed  by  Indian  scouts. 

The  other  troops  directed  to  take  part  in  this 
affair  arrived,  under  General  Carr,  so  promptly  on 
the  flank  of  the  Indians  that  their  escape  would 
have  been  a  very  difficult  matter  if  they  had  made 
a  stand  for  a  few  minutes.  The  result  of  this 
attack  was  particularly  gratifying  because  the  In- 
dians were  seeking  revenge  for  their  losses  at  the 
hands  of  the  Seventh  Cavalry,  and  found  the  Sixth 
so  fully  prepared  to  give  it  to  them,  that  they 
returned  to  the  hostile  villagfe  and  acknowledg^ed 
defeat  and  a  loss  of  nine  warriors. 

The  regiment  continued  to  guard  the  Bad  Lands 
flank  of  the  Pine  Ridge  reservation,  being  out  every 
day  in  very  cold  weather.     The  valleys  of  Wounded 


BACK    TO    THE    PLAINS    AND    THE    BAD    LANDS.       263 

Knee,  and  other  neighboring  streams,  were  part  of 
the  Pine  Ridee  reservation  and  contained  many 
Indian  ranches.  A  number  of  hay-stacks  were 
located  within  a  few  miles  of  camp,  and  there  being 
no  grazing,  the  hay  was  seized  for  the  horses  and 
subsequently  paid  for  as  fast  as  the  owners  could 
be  determined.  Many  of  the  Sioux  ranches  had 
been  looted  by  Cheyennes  before  the  troops 
arrived. 

On  January  14th,  orders  were  received  to  close 
in  and  the  regiment  went  into  camp  on  Wolf 
Creek,  near  the  beef  corral,  in  sight  of  the  agency. 
The  Indians  finally  made  up  their  minds  to  a  com- 
plete surrender,  and  after  they  moved  in  from 
their  fortified  stronghold,  the  regiments  which  had 
concentrated  at  the  agency,  were  encamped  in  a 
single  line  several  miles  long. 

On  January  24th  they  were  assembled  for  a  grand 
review  by  General  Miles.  The  cavalry  brigade, 
consisting  of  the  Sixth,  Seventh  and  Ninth,  and  a 
separate  squadron  composed  of  troops  of  several 
regiments,  was  commanded  by  General  Carr.  The 
ground  was  already  covered  with  snow,  and  the 
review  took  place  in  a  light  snow-storm.  No  such 
body  of  troops  had  been  brought  together  since 
the  Civil  War,  and  there  can  be  little  doubt  that 
the  sight  of  these  well-equipped  and  seasoned 
soldiers,  with    truly    every   button    and   cartridge    in 


264  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

place,  made  a  lasting  impression  on  the  recent 
hostiles,  for  they  have  never  given  any  trouble 
since. 

The  other  cavalry  regiments  struck  their  tents 
and  left  the  Sixth  camped  for  several  weeks  on  the 
cold,  bleak  prairie  in  deep  snow,  awaiting  arrange- 
ments for  disposing  of  some  antagonistic  elements 
amongst  the  Indians  on  the  reservation. 

The  bitterness  between  the  Cheyennes  and  Sioux 
caused  the  former  to  be  moved  to  the  Tongue 
River  country.  The  remnant  of  Big  Foot's  band, 
which  had  been  almost  annihilated  by  the  Seventh 
Cavalry,  was  sent  to  the  Agency  on  the  Missouri 
River,  escorted  by  Lieutenant  H.  G.  Gallagher  and 
a  detachment  from  the  Sixth  Cavalry.  The  weather 
was  unusually  severe,  and  the  Indians — many  of  them 
women  and  small  children — suffered  intensely. 
Some  of  the  soldiers  actually  removed  their  over- 
coats and  wrapped  the  freezing  children  up  in  them 
to  save  their  lives.  It  was  only  by  superhuman 
exertions  on  the  part  of  the  detachment  that  this 
broken-hearted  remnant  of  a  once  mighty  band 
was  safely  delivered  to  their  kindred. 

The  headquarters  and  Troops  A,  F,  G,  E  and  K 
were  now  assigned  to  station  at  Fort  Niobrara, 
Nebraska,  on  the  southern  boundary  of  the  Rose- 
bud Indian  reservation,  where  the  Brule  band  of 
Sioux  had   been    located  some   years    before,    while 


BACK    TO    THE    PLAINS    AND    THE    BAD    LANDS.       265 

under  that  justly  celebrated  chief,  Spotted  Tail. 
Troops  C,  H  and  D  were  assigned  to  Fort  Mc- 
Kinney,  Wyoming,  and  Troop  I  to  duty  in  the 
Yellowstone  Park.  Later  on  Troop  B  was  relieved 
from  duty  in  the  east,  at  Washington,  D.  C,  and 
ordered  to  Fort  Washakie,  Wyoming.  The  four 
stations  occupied  were  as  much  out  of  touch  with 
one  another  as  if  they  had  been  on  opposite  sides 
of  the  continent. 

The  troops  assigned  to  Fort  McKinney  encoun- 
tered a  succession  of  violent  storms,  and  the  suf- 
fering was  intense,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that 
the  command  had  been  undergoing  acclimatization 
in  a  winter  campaign  for  many  weeks.  The  troop 
assigned  to  the  Yellowstone  Park  simply  lived  in 
mountains  of  snow  until  late  the  following  summer. 
The  column  which  marched  to  Fort  Niobrara  en- 
countered a  severe  blizzard  on  the  open  prairie 
which  would  have  inevitably  left  a  trail  of  death 
but  for  the  winter  equipment  which  had  been  pro- 
vided for  men  and  horses. 

These  blizzards  are  simply  indescribable,  and  only 
those  who  have  experienced  them  can  understand 
how  many  years  of  misery  it  is  possible  to  concen- 
trate in  a  few  days.  After  the  icy  wind  and  snow- 
storm had  died  away,  there  was  nothing  left  but 
to  take  turns  in  plunging  through  the  enormous 
drifts,   which  filled  every  gulch.     Under    the  intelli- 


266         FROM  YORKTOWN  TO  SANTIAGO. 

gent  care  which  had  been  bestowed  upon  them, 
nearly  all  the  horses  had  come  through  the  cam- 
paign in  fine  condition  and  were  fit  for  any  ordi- 
nary undertaking.  Breaking  trail  in  the  deep  snow, 
however,  proved  a  hard  task,  and  it  was  necessary 
to  let  the  leaders  fall  back  after  a  few  yards,  and 
bring  up  fresh  horses  to  plunge  into  the  drifts. 

When  the  bridge  was  reached,  over  which  the 
road  passes  before  entering  the  post  on  the  pla- 
teau above,  a  soldier  was  found  frozen  to  death. 
He  had  been  out  with  the  mail,  and,  returning  in 
the  storm,  had  missed  the  bridge  by  a  few  yards  ; 
disheartened,  he  had  evidently  gotten  on  his  hands 
and  knees  to  crawl  and  was  found  in  that  position, 
dead. 

Arriving  in  the  post,  the  buildings  could  scarcely 
be  discerned,  for  they  were  blockaded  with  snow- 
drifts up  to  the  roofs.  It  was  several  hours  before 
the  drifts  were  cleared  away  so  that  the  stable 
doors  could  be  opened.  To  troops  coming  from 
many  years  of  service  in  Arizona  and  New  Mexico, 
this  was  anything  but  inviting.  Similar  experiences 
were  encountered  by  the  other  columns. 

The  service  in  Yellowstone  Park  proved  a  unique 
experience  for  the  guard  there,  which  was  ultimately 
composed  of  D  and  I  troops.  During  the  summer 
season  each  year,  when  the  Park  was  filled  with 
tourists,  the  utmost  vigilance  was   required  to   pre- 


BACK    TO    THE    PLAINS    AND    THE    BAD    LANDS.       267 

vent  careless  or  malicious  destruction,  especially 
from  camp-fires.  The  game  was  seldom  interfered 
with  by  respectable  people,  but  there  is  something 
in  the  human  kind  that  makes  men  look  with  mod- 
eration upon  law-breakers  who  shoot  out  of  season 
or  on  game  preserves. 

Skin-hunters  poached  within  the  Park  limits 
during  the  winter  when  the  animals  were  fre- 
quently rendered  comparatively  helpless  by  the 
great  depth  of  snow.  To  guard  against  their  nefa- 
rious operations,  it  was  necessary  to  have  small 
detachments  located  in  various  isolated  cabins,  often 
for  periods  of  several  months'  duration  without 
relief.  Horses  were  useless  during  the  winter,  and 
in  order  to  perform  the  constant  patrol  duty,  it  was 
necessary  for  the  soldiers  to  go  about  on  snow 
shoes  or  Norwegian  skis.  Many  of  them  became 
expert  in  the  use  of  the  skis,  and  this  made  it 
possible  to  ferret  out  an  occasional  villain  who,  in 
a  few  weeks,  would  destroy  more  game  than  could 
be  replaced  in  years.  Owing  to  the  curious  freaks 
of  nature  in  the  Park,  it  often  happened  that  the 
ski  patrols  would  have  to  remove  their  foot  cov- 
erings and  wade  in  midwinter  through  warm  streams 
which  flow  from  the  hot-springs.  While  the  service 
was  active  and  interesting  in  summer,  the  long 
periods  of  semi-hibernation  proved  monotonous  to 
those  who  were  compelled  to  remain  through  the 
winter  season. 


268  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

The  troop  at  Fort  Washakie,  on  the  Shoshone 
reservation,  was  constantly  called  upon  to  protect 
the  Indians  from  encroachments  on  the  part  of  the 
cattle  men  of  the  surrounding  country.  The  Fort 
McKinney  squadron,  on  the  contrary,  was  called 
out  to  keep  the  cattle  men  from  killing  one  another. 
The  trouble  was  known  as  the  "  Rustler  War,"  and 
was  brought  about  by  large  cattle-owners  organ- 
izing an  armed  party  to  penetrate  the  Big  Horn 
and  Powder  River  country,  for  the  purpose  of  kill- 
ing a  considerable  number  of  cattle-thieves  who 
were  living  off  the  large  herds.  The  importation 
into  the  state,  of  Texans  and  others  to  take  part 
in  this  raid,  aroused  all  the  small  cattle-owners  and 
many  joined  with  the  Rustlers  and  attacked  the 
raiders. 

The  Sixth  Cavalry  squadron  was  hurried  to  the 
scene  of  battle,  rescued  the  raiders  and  escorted 
them  to  Fort  McKinney.  The  Rustlers  were  in- 
dignant at  the  interference  and  endeavored  to  burn 
down  the  buildings  where  the  prisoners  were  con- 
fined under  guard.  The  post  was  in  serious  danger 
of  being  entirely  destroyed,  when  it  was  determined 
to  blow  up  a  portion  to  save  the  remainder. 
Lieutenant  Gatewood,  and  one  or  two  others  who 
volunteered  for  the  work,  entered  one  of  the  burn- 
ing structures  to  place  cans  of  powder  to  insure 
quick    destruction.       Some    burning    rafters    parted, 


BACK    TO    THE    PLAINS    AND    THE    BAD    LANDS.       269 

fell  and  prematurely  exploded  a  can  of  powder. 
Lieutenant  Gatewood  was  blown  violently  against 
the  side  of  the  building  and  so  badly  crippled  that 
he  was  compelled  to  retire  from  active  duty  while 
yet  a  young  lieutenant  and  with  a  rare  record  of 
successful  Indian  service. 

The  raiders  were  subsequently  sent  under  guard 
to  Fort  Russell,  near  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  and 
turned  over  to  the  civil  authorities.  During  the 
spring  it  became  necessary  to  order  the  regiment 
out  to  prevent  further  trouble  in  Wyoming,  and 
the  troops  from  Nebraska  established  Camp  Elkins 
on  La  Prele  Creek,  near  old  Fort  Fetterman.  The 
troops  were  sent  in  turn  through  the  neighboring 
country,  but  there  was  no  call  for  interference  be- 
yond warning  all  parties  that  no  private  "  round 
ups "  would  be  allowed.  The  general  round  up 
then  followed  along  the  Platte  river  from  day  to 
day,  involving  about   150,000  head  of  cattle. 

Troop  L,  which  consisted  of  full-blooded  I^rule 
Sioux  Indians  of  Spotted  Tail's  old  band,  accom- 
panied the  regiment  on  this  service  and  performed 
full  duty  the  same  as  other  troops.  This  troop 
was  the  first  regularly  organized  and  enlisted  body 
of  Indian  soldiers  brought  into  service  under  the 
experiment  which,  after  a  fair  trial,  was  pronounced 
unsuccessful.  Prior  to  that  time,  Indians  had  been 
constantly    utilized     as     enlisted     scouts,     but     they 


270  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

were  not  required  to  wear  uniforms  or  cut  off  their 
hair. 

These  Indians  were  enlisted  with  considerable 
care  and  trained  by  officers  of  the  regiment  as  a 
cavalry  troop  until  they  were  able  to  drill  with  the 
other  troops  in  both  squadron  and  regimental 
drills.  But  as  time  passed,  the  novelty  of  the  life 
wore  off,  and  it  became  apparent  that  the  Indian, 
as  a  regular  soldier,  was  not  equal  to  the  white 
man,  and  that  he  could  be  utilized  to  much  ofreater 
advantage  under  the  old  system  as  a  scout.  The 
troop  was  allowed  to  become  a  "  skeleton "  again 
by  the  discharge  of  the  Indians  who  returned  to 
their  old  life  on  the  reservation. 

During  the  autumn  of  1892  the  troops  were  all 
returned  to  their  posts  and  two  of  them,  F  and  G, 
were  selected  to  represent  the  regiment  at  the 
dedication  of  the  World's  Fair  Building  at  Chicago. 
The  two  troops  were  filled  to  the  maximum  of 
men  and  horses,  one  with  iron  grays  and  the  other 
blood  bays,  all  well  sized,  and,  together  with  the 
troops  from  other  regiments,  made  a  creditable 
representation  of  the  regular  cavalry.  The  gray 
troop  had  the  honor  of  heading  the  Grand  Review 
and  of  leading  the  column  of  regular  and  State 
troops  to  and  around  the  grounds  to  the  Manu- 
facturers' Building,  where  the  dedicatory  services 
were  held  in   the   presence   of  the  largest  audience 


BACK    TO    THE    PLAINS    AND    THE    BAD    LANDS.       27 1 

ever  assembled  under  cover  in  any  country.  Upon 
conclusion  of  the  ceremonies,  the  troops  returned 
to  their  station  in  Nebraska  and  went  into  quarters 
for  the  winter. 

The  regiment  continued  at  the  stations  occupied, 
performing-  ordinary  garrison  duty  until  September, 
1894,  except  Troop  F,  which  was  ordered  in  April, 
1893,  to  the  Infantry  and  Cavalry  School  at  Fort 
Leavenworth,  the  garrison  of  which  was  then  com- 
posed of  organizations  selected  from  different  regi- 
ments, aggregating  a  squadron  of  cavalry  and  a 
regiment  of  infantry. 

During  the  summer  of  1894  a  part  of  the  regi- 
ment was  sent  to  Chicago  during  the  prevalence 
of  the  great  railroad  strikes,  and  subsequently 
encamped  at  Fort  Sheridan,  waiting  for  the  turbu- 
lent element  to  adjust  itself  to  normal  conditions. 
The  Coxey  Army  invaded  the  Missouri  River  valley 
in  such  a  way  as  to  be  regarded  as  a  menace  to 
the  public,  and  many  were  arrested  and  put  in 
camp  on  the  Fort  Leavenworth  reservation.  They 
were  brought  before  the  United  States  Court  and, 
to  their  amazement,  were  convicted  and  sentenced 
to  imprisonment.  When  the  fact  was  announced, 
they  began  to  escape  from  the  deputy  marshals 
and  would  not  move  to  the  place  of  confinement 
designated.  On  the  call  of  the  marshal  for  assist- 
ance, F  troop   of  the  Sixth,  was  sent  rapidly  along 


272  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

the  river  bank  cutting  off  escape,  and  surrounding 
the  so-called  army.  The  prisoners  were  then 
marched  to  the  court-house  and  turned  over  to 
the  authorities. 

During  the  autumn  of  1894  the  regiment,  except 
the  two  troops  in  Yellowstone  Park,  was  ordered 
to  change  station,  one  squadron  with  the  head- 
quarters being  assigned  to  Fort  Myer,  Virginia, 
opposite  Washington,  and  three  additional  troops 
to  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  completing,  with  the 
troop  already  there,  another  squadron. 

These  squadrons,  for  the  first  time  in  their  his- 
tory, found  themselves  provided  with  a  fine  riding 
hall  each  for  winter  instruction.  The  troops  showed 
their  appreciation  of  the  opportunities  afforded, 
after  their  many  years  of  frontier  service  at  unde- 
sirable stations,  by  going  to  work  systematically  to 
perfect  the  organizations  in  all  details  pertaining  to 
them. 

It  was  fitting  that  this  regiment,  which  had  begun 
the  new  order  of  horse  training  and  cavalry  instruc- 
tion ten  years  before,  should  now  be  given  an 
opportunity  to  show  its  degree  of  excellence. 
There  were  a  few  troops  scattered  through  various 
regiments  which  probably  equaled  those  of  the 
Sixth,  but  it  can  be  fairly  stated,  without  disparage- 
ment of  comrades,  that  there  never  existed  in  the 
American  cavalry,  regular  or  volunteer,  two  squad- 


BACK    TO    THE    PLAINS    AND    THE    BAD    LANDS.       273 

rons  more  thoroughly  and  uniformly  instructed  in 
all  drills,  from  the  individual  training  of  the  trooper 
and  horse  up  to  and  including  all  the  duties  of  the 
squadron  in  garrison  and  field,  than  were  those  of 
the  Sixth  between  1894  and  1898,  when  they  took 
the  field  for  the  war  with  Spain. 

It  was  a  rare  and  unknown  experience  for  this 
regiment  to  be  so  long  in  garrison,  but  now,  like 
others,  it  found  practice  marches  necessary  to  teach 
the  younger  officers  and  men  the  details  of  camp 
life  and  the  practical  duties  of  the  march.  Contin- 
ually did  they  devote  themselves  to  outpost,  recon- 
noissance  and  similar  duties,  and  to  all  details  of 
offensive  and  defensive  warfare,  so  far  as  the  size 
of  the  organizations  would  admit.  The  list  of  daily 
duties  for  the  guidance  of  organizations  at  any  of 
the  large  posts  of  the  regular  army  during  this 
period  looks  appalling,  but  it  is  admitted  by  all 
thouofhtful  men  that  this  trainins;-  made  the  men 
individually  athletes,  and  the  army  as  a  whole  the 
fittest  body  of  men   that   ever  entered  a  campaign. 

For  some  years  officers  had  been  required  to  de- 
vote 'much  of  their  time  to  the  Lyceum,  and  many 
of  the  essays  prepared  were  most  creditable  alike 
to  the  individuals  and  to  the  whole  army.  The 
study  and  discussion  of  campaigns,  which  hold  im- 
portant places  on  the  pages  of  history,  by  reason 
of  their  momentous  effect  on  the  fate  of  nations, 
18 


2  74  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

could  only  result  beneficially.  Of  fully  as  much,  if 
not  greater  value,  however,  was  the  planning  of 
field  exercises,  followed  by  their  practical  execution 
by  the  various  garrisons,  and  terminating  with  de- 
cisions of  selected  umpires. 

Few  people  understood  the  work  being  so  quietly 
carried  on  by  the  army,  although  the  high  standard 
of  instruction  was  occasionally  illustrated  by  selected 
organizations  detailed  at  horse-shows,  fairs,  or  other 
public  exhibitions.  The  following  official  programme 
for  seven  months'  instruction  at  one  of  the  posts  gar- 
risoned by  the  regiment,  will  give  some  idea  of  the 
labor  involved  in  preparing  a  command  for  modern 
war  : 

Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  April  2d,  1896. 
Circular  i. 

Programme  of  drills  and  exercises  for  the  period  from 
April  I  St  to  October  31st. 

Drill  for  Infantry:  Schools  of  the  soldier,  of  the  company, 
of  the  battalion;  evolutions  of  the  regiment;  extended  order 
for  the  squad,  platoon,  company,  battalion  and  regiment. 

Drill  for  Cavalry:  Schools  of  the  soldier,  trooper,  troop 
and  squadron;  extended  order  for  the  squad,  troop  and 
squadron. 

Calisthenics,  running,  jumping,  escalade  of  walls. 

First  aid  to  the  injured. 

Litter-drill. 

Signaling. 

Instruction  of  field  musicians. 

Estimating  distances. 

Target  practice. 

Castrametation. 


BACK    TO    THE    PLAINS    AND    THE    BAD    LANDS.       275 

Non-commissioned  officers'  patrols,  reports  and  rough 
sketching. 

Officers'  patrols,  reports  and  itineraries. 

Reconnoissance. 

Advance  and  rear  guards. 

Outposts,  illustrating  the  several  systems. 

Practical  problems  in  minor  tactics  by  each  arm  separately. 

Practical  problems  in  minor  tactics  with  the  arms  combined. 

Practical  problems  with  opposing  forces. 

Hasty  entrenchments. 

Practice  marches. 

Marches  of  concentration. 

Company  and  troop  commanders  will  follow  the  course  of 
instruction  as  nearly  as  possible  in  the  succession  mentioned 
as  far  as  it  pertains  to  their  separate  organizations,  their 
records  to  show  the  completion  of  each  portion,  also  its 
resumption  at  subsequent  periods  when  they  deem  this  neces- 
sary to  perfect  the  course. 

Field  officers  are  requested  to  keep  similar  record  as  per- 
taining to  squadron,  battalion  and  regiment.  It  is  desired 
that  they  shall  give  every  latitude  to  company  and  troop  com- 
manders as  to  apportionment  of  time  consistent  with  what  is 
necessary  for  squadron,  battalion  and  regiment  both  in  drill 
regulations  and  in  minor  tactics  and  kindred  subjects. 

Memorandum  for  Parades. 

Mondays ist  Battalion,  20th  Infantry. 

Wednesdays  ....   2nd  Battalion,  20th  Infantry. 

Thursdays Cavalry  Squadron. 

Fridays Regimental,  20th  Infantry. 

By  order  of  Colonel  Hawkins: 

Benj.  Alvord, 
1st  Lieutenant  and  Adjutant. 

At  least  one  day  of  each  week  was  devoted  to 
practical   field   work,  usually  the   solution   of  a   pre- 


276  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

viously  arranged  problem.  The  following  is  a  fair 
sample  of  this  character  of  instruction  and  is  one 
of  many  exercises  arranged  for  and  participated  in 
by  the  regiment  during  recent  years  : 

Field  Exercise. 

A  force  (Blue)  is  stationed  at  Weston. 

A  force  (Brown)  is  posted  five  miles  south  of  Leavenworth 
near  the  river. 

The  commander  at  Weston  has  ascertained  by  reconnois- 
sance  that  none  of  the  enemy  is  north  of  Leavenworth.  He 
sends  a  train  of  200  six-mule  wagons  to  forage  in  Salt  Creek 
valley  under  escort  of  4  companies  of  infantry  and  2  troops  of 
cavalry.  He  also  sends  additional  force  to  threaten  Burling- 
ton bridge  opposite  Leavenworth. 

The  commander  of  the  escort,  knowing  that  the  enemy  is 
all  south  of  Leavenworth,  detaches  only  one  platoon  of  cav- 
alry to  accompany  the  train  to  Salt  Creek.  With  the  re- 
mainder of  his  force  he  determines  to  take  position  for  secur- 
ing line  of  retreat  across  the  Fort  Leavenworth  bridge. 

The  commander  of  Brown  force  learns  from  a  farmer  that 
a  large  train  is  foraging  in  Salt  Creek  valley.  He  sends  4 
companies  of  infantry  and  2  troops  of  cavalry  to  capture  it. 
He  also  sends  additional  force  to  protect  Burlington  bridge. 

To  limit  the  field,  the  country  west  of  Merritt  Lake  will  be 
regarded  as  impassable. 

Rules  for  field  exercises  heretofore  published  will  be 
observed. 

Written  report  of  operations  to  be  made  within  two  days 
by  the  commander  of  the  Blue  and  the  commander  of  the 
Brown  force  engaged. 

Such  exercises  could  not  fail  to  inure  to  the 
benefit  of  officers  and  men,  not  only  by  training 
them  in  the  marked  difference  between  armory  and 


BACK    TO    THE    PLAINS    AND    THE    BAD    LANDS.       277 

parade-ground  drills  in  close  order  and  the  actual 
use  of  troops  on  varied  ground,  but  also  by  accus- 
toming them  to  marches  and  open-air  work  with 
full  field  equipment.  So  long  as  the  west  was  all 
frontier,  enterprising  troops  had  no  lack  of  exercise, 
for  when  not  scoutiilg  after  Indians  there  was  much 
opportunity  for  hunting  or  fishing,  both  of  which 
were  officially  encouraged. 

The  following  list  of  Indian  fights  in  which  the 
regiment  participated,  taken  from  the  official  records 
of  the  War  Department,  shows  that  those  were 
busy  days  on  the  old  frontier  which  has  now  so 
completely  passed  away: 

Date.  Place.  Troops  Engaged. 

July  21st,  1867 Buffalo  Springs,  Texas Detachs.  A,  E. 

August  SOth,  1867 Near  Fort  Belknap,  Texas F. 

October  17th,  1867 Deep  Creek,  Texas Detachs.  F,  I,  K,  L. 

March  6th,  1868 Paint  Creek,  Texas F,  I,  K. 

May  SOth,  1870 Holliday  Creek,  Texas Detachs.  C,  D. 

July  13th,  1S70 Near  North  Fork  of  Little  Wichita 

River,  Texas Detachs.  A,C,D,H,K,L. 

October  5th,  1870 Near  Little  Wichita  River,  Texas  .  .Detach.  M. 

October  6th,  1870 Near  Little  Wichita  River,  Texas  .  .Detach.  G. 

November  14th,  1870 Scout  from  Fort  Richardson,  Texas.  Detach.  I. 

May  22d,  1872 Between  Forts  Dodge,  Kansas,  and 

Supply,  Ind.  Ter Detach.  E. 

April  11th,  1874 Bull  Bear  Creek,  Ind.  Ter Detach.  G. 

June  19th,  1874 Buffalo  Creek,  Ind.  Ter Detach.  K. 

June  21st,  1874 Buffalo  Creek,  Ind.  Ter Detach.  G. 

June  24th,  1874 Bear  Creek  Redoubt,  Kansas Detach.  G. 

August  I'.Uh,  1874 Adobe  Walls,  Texas Detach. 

August  20th,  1874 Chicken  Creek,  Texas Detach. 

August  SOth,  1874 Mulberry  Creek,  Texas A,  D,  F,  G,  H,  I,  L,  M. 

September  9th,  1874 Dry  Fork  of  Wichita  River,  Texas. Detachs.  H,  I. 

September  9th,  1874 Sweetwater  Creek,  Texas Detach.  I. 

September  9th  to  12th,  1874. Near  Canadian  River,  Texas Detach.  I. 


2/8  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

Date.  Plack.  Troops  Engaged. 

September  11th  to  lath,  1874 .  Near  Wichita  River,  Texas Detach.  H. 

September  11th  to  12th,  1874.McLellaii  Creek,  Texas Detachs.  I,  M. 

October  17th,  1874 Near  Washita  River,  Ind.  Ter I. 

Oct.  21st  to  Nov.  8th,  1874.  .Expedition  from  Fort  Sill,  Ind.  Ter.  .D. 

November  8th,  1874    Near  McLellan  Creek,  Texas Detach.  D. 

November  10th,  1874 Near  Fort  Dodge,  Kansas Detach.  B. 

December  2d,  1874 Gageby  Creek,  Texas Detach.  I. 

April  6th,  1875 .Near  Cheyenne  Agency,  Ind.  Ter.  .  .M. 

April  23d,  1875 North  Fork,  Sappa  Creek,  Kansas  .Detach.  H. 

January  9th,  1876 Camp  Apache,  Arizona A  and  D. 

April  10th,  1876 San  Jose  Mountains,  Arizona Detach.  H. 

August  15th,  1876 Red  Rock  Country,  Arizona Detach.  E. 

October  4th,  1876 Tonto  Basin,  Arizona Detach.  E. 

Jan.  9th  to  Feb.  5th,  1877  .  .  .Scout  in  Tonto  Basin,  Arizona Detach.  E. 

January  9th,  1877 Leidendorf  Mountains, New  Mexico. Detachs.  H,  L. 

May  29th,  1877 Near  Camp  Bowie,  Arizona H,  L. 

August  29th,  1877 Near  Black  Rock,  Arizona Detach.  F. 

September  8th  to  10th,  1877. Near  San  Francisco  River,  and  Mo- 

gollou  Mountains,  New  Mexico.  Detachs.  B,  M. 

December  13th,  1877 Ralston  Flat,  New  Mexico Detachs.  C,  G,  H,  L 

December  18th,  1877 .Las  Animas  Mountains,  New  Mex.  .Detachs.  C,  G,  H,  L 

January  7th,  1878 Near  Tonto  Creek,  Arizona Detach.  A. 

April  5th,  1878 MogoUon  Mountains,  Arizona Detach.  A. 

May  20th,  1878. .  .    Smith's  Mills,  Arizona Detach.  I. 

Sept.  29th  to  Oct.  1st,  1879.  .Cuchillo  Negro  River,  New  Mexico. Detach.  A. 

October  27th.  1879 San  Guzman  Mountains,  Mexico  . .  .Detach.  A. 

April  7th,  1880 San  Andreas  Mountains,  New  Mex.  .Detachs.  D,  E. 

April  9th,  1880 San  Andreas  Springs,  New  Mexico  .  L. 

May  7th,  1880 Ash  Creek  Valley,  Arizona Detach.  E. 

August  30th,  1881 Cibicu  Creek,  Arizona D,  E. 

August  31st,  1881 Near  Fort  Apache,  Arizona Detach.  D. 

September  1st,  1881 Fort  Apache,  Arizona D,  E. 

September  30th,  1881 San  Carlos,  Arizona A,  B,  C,  E. 

October  2d,  1881 Cedar  Springs,  Arizona A,  F. 

October  4th,  1881 South  Pass  of  Dragoon  Mountains, 

Arizona A,  F. 

April  20th,  1882 Near  Fort  Thomas,  Arizona B. 

April  28th,  1882 Hatchet  Mountains,  New  Mexico  .  .G,  M. 

June  1st,  1882 Near  Cloverdale,  New  Mexico A. 

July  17th,  1882 Big  Dry  Wash,  Arizona E,  I,  K. 

July  15th,  1884 Worthington  Caiion,  Arizona B,  F. 

November  8th,  1885 Florida  Mountains,  New  Mexico.    .Detach.  A. 

January  1st,  1891 Mouth  of  Little  Grass  Creek,  South 

Dakota F,  I,  K. 


BACK    TO    THE    PLAINS    AND    THE    BAD    LANDS.       279 

Those  who  have  campaigned  against  Indians  know 
that  for  every  fight  there  were  numberless  scouts 
without  resuh,  other  than  to  prevent  raiding  bands 
from  remaining  in  the  vicinity  of  settlements.  In 
fact,  much  scouting  and  marching  was  done  simply 
to  let  Indians  and  settlers  know  that  troops  were 
on  the  alert,  and  familiarizing  themselves  with  the 
country. 

With  the  cessation  of  Indian  hostilities,  which  had 
really  ceased  to  be  a  daily  factor  in  frontier  life 
after  the  Pine  Ridge  campaign,  ending  in  1891, 
many  isolated  stations  were  abandoned  and  regi- 
ments were  concentrated  as  much  as  possible  with 
a  view  to  enabling  all  to  perfect  themselves  in  the 
new  order  of  things.  Target  practice  had,  for  a 
few  years,  been  forced  to  the  front  to  the  exclusion 
of  other  instruction,  but  good  judgment  prevailed 
at  last  and  it  became  an  integral  part  of  the  whole, 
of  recognized  value,  but  not  the  only  criterion  of 
efficiency. 

It  was  hard  for  the  army  to  realize  that  the  days 
of  Indian  campaigning  had  really  ended.  Year  after 
year  various  regiments  had  been  called  to  the  field, 
sometimes  under  tropical  suns,  and  again  in  the 
land  of  the  blizzard,  where  the  icy  winds  made 
life  miserable  alike  to  pursuer  and  pursued.  With 
each  recurrinof  surrender  the  Indians  had  been 
gently  restored  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  agent 


28o  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

and  his  harpies,  only  to  find  their  grievances  mul- 
tiplied. But  as  years  wore  on,  and  the  settlers 
with  their  wire  fences  closed  in  slowly,  but  surely, 
around  the  reservations,  the  light  broke  upon  the 
Indians  that  the  days  of  the  wild,  free  life  of  the 
Golden  West  had  gone  glimmering  in  the  dead 
past.  The  march  of  civilization  had  swept  away 
the  old  life  and  left  the  remnants  of  once  proud 
tribes  stranded  as  driftwood  along  the  shores  of 
progress. 

Encountering  only  the  worst  elements,  too  often 
the  mere  outcasts  of  society,  the  poor  warriors, 
shorn  of  the  power  wielded  by  their  ancestors, 
turned  restlessly  for  some  light  on  their  future  to 
those  with  whom  they  had  battled,  and  at  whose 
hands  they  had  often  suffered  defeat.  Army  offi- 
cers were  again  installed  as  Indian  agents  and 
gradually  laid  the  foundations  of  lasting  peace  by 
showing  the  Indians  the  utter  futility  of  contending 
against  inevitable  fate. 


SANTIAGO. 


281 


CHAPTER   XII. 

Santiago. 

Regulars  to  the  Front — Chickamauga  Park — Experience  in 
Camp — On  to  Tampa — Join  Fifth  Corps — Troop  H  detached 
— Provost  Guard — Embarks  for  Porto  Rico — Aground  off 
Ponce — Disembark — About  to  engage  Enemy— Notice  of 
Peace — Return  Home — Cavalry  Division  embarks  at  Tampa 
— Horses  left  behind — Arrival  off  Santiago — Disembarka- 
tion— March  to  Sevilla — El  Poso — July  ist — Ordered  as 
Advance  of  Division — Moves  on  San  Juan  Hill — Enemy 
opens  Fire — The  Advance  of  Second  Squadron — First 
Squadron — Balloon — Completion  of  Deployment — Division 
MOVES  TO  Assault — Attack  different  Parts  Line — Mingling 
OF  Regiments— Success  of  Attack— Entrenching — Support 
Batteries  July  2d — Siege — Surrender — Mountain-Camp — 
Sickness— Embark  for  Montauk  Point — Losses— Intemper- 
ate Criticism — Results — Back  to  Frontier — The  End. 


RANT  proclaimed  but  the 
reflex  action  of  the  long 
continued  war  strain  when, 
at  Appomattox  thirty-five 
years  ago,  he  said,  "  Let  us 
have  peace."  The  nation 
had  learned  the  bitter  cost  of  war  in  empty  hearth- 
stones and  a  burden  of  debt,  and  it  seemed  as  if 
nothing  but  the  imperiled  liberties  of  the  people  could 
ever  again  drag  the  country  to  war.  The  tribulations 
of  the  neighboring  Isle  of  Cuba  and  of  the  republics 


262  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

of  Central  and  South  America,  sometimes  produced 
war  clouds  of  darkest  hue,  but  it  remained  for  an 
infamous  wrong  to  arouse  the  nation's  anger. 

As  the  sound  of  the  guns  which  bombarded  Fort 
Sumter  in  1861  echoed  in  every  hamlet  of  the 
North,  so  the  explosion  which  sunk  the  "  Maine " 
in  Havana  harbor  on  that  fateful  night  in  February, 
shook  the  fabric  of  Spain's  whole  colonial  system 
and  sent  a  thrill  of  horror  to  every  fireside  of  the 
civilized  world.  Diplomacy  could  delay,  but  was 
powerless  to  stem  the  tide  of  public  sentiment, 
and  when  the  Administration  yielded  to  popular 
demand,  there  was  no  doubting  that  a  united  nation 
stood  shoulder  to  shoulder  to  revenge  the  "Maine" 
and  incidentally  to  free  Cuba  from  a  grinding  and 
merciless  tyranny. 

The  nation  was  not  prepared  for  war,  but  right 
manfully  did  every  shoulder  go  to  the  wheel,  and 
while  the  machinery  of  the  Government  was  set  in 
motion  to  put  volunteers  in  the  field,  the  gallant 
little  band  of  regulars  was  hurried  from  all  quarters 
of  the  continent. 

Camps  were  established  at  various  southern 
points,  most  of  the  cavalry  going  to  Chickamauga 
Park,  near  Chattanooga,  where  the  troops  of  the 
Sixth  were  concentrated.  The  magnificent  character 
of  the  regular  army  assembled  in  this  great  camp 
impressed  itself  upon  all  who  were  capable  of  judg- 


SANTIAGO.  283 

ing  of  its  capacity  for  war,  and  history  will  record 
how  manfully  it  sustained  its  highest  traditions  in 
the  campaign  which  followed. 

It  was  eminently  appropriate  that  the  regulars 
should  have  been  assembled  at  Chickamauga,  for 
in  all  that  magnificent  army  which  struggled  on 
this  field  thirty-five  years  ago,  none  bore  themselves 
with  more  honor  or  suffered  greater  losses  than  the 
regulars,  and  it  was  a  fitting  spot  from  whence  to 
draw  inspiration  for  deeds  of  knightly  valor  in  the 
coming  conflict. 

The  squadrons  were  put  en  route  to  Chicka- 
mauga during  April.  The  regiment  established  its 
camp  there  on  the  21st,  and  participated  in  the 
drills  and  other  exercises  inaugurated  for  the  further 
instruction  of  the  troops,  included  in  which  were 
five  regiments  of  regular  cavalry. 

The  experience  of  the  army  of  regulars,  while 
located  on  this  magnificent  camp  site,  was  far  dif- 
ferent from  that  of  the  two  corps  of  volunteers 
which  followed  them,  but  this  is  another  story  which 
need  not  be  detailed  here.  Suffice  it  to  sav  that, 
if  the  nation  takes  its  lessons  to  heart  and  applies 
the  simple  remedy  of  training  a  sufficient  number 
of  officers  in  time  of  peace  to  supply  experienced 
commanders  and  stafi"  to  the  volunteer  regiments 
when  called  into  service,  there  will  be  no  future 
camp  scandals.     Both  regulars  and  volunteers  have 


284  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

since  occupied  the  pest  holes  of  Cuba  with  less 
loss  than  the  volunteers  suffered  in  healthy  Ameri- 
can camps. 

On  May  8th  nine  troops  of  the  regiment  moved 
to  Tampa,  Florida,  becoming  a  part  of  the  Cavalry 
Division  of  the  Fifth  Corps,  composed  almost 
wholly  of  regulars  selected  to  bear  the  brunt  of 
early  battle,  while  the  volunteers  were  being  pre- 
pared for  war. 

Troop  H  was  detached  as  provost  guard  at  the 
great  volunteer  camp  then  being  established  within 
the  limits  of  Chickamauga  Park,  and  its  movements 
will  be  described  before  proceeding  further  with 
the  regiment.  The  troop  served  as  escort  and 
provost  guard  at  General  Brooke's  headquarters, 
and  accompanied  the  expedition  to  Porto  Rico, 
sailing  from  Newport  News  on  the  transport  "  Mas- 
sachusetts," July  28th,  1898.  The  transport  arrived 
at  Ponce,  Porto  Rico,  August  2d,  and  received 
instructions  to  proceed  to  Guayama,  where  General 
Brooke's  headquarters  then  were.  The  large  vessel 
passed  safely  out  of  the  harbor,  but  went  hard 
aground  immediately  after.  This  necessitated  un- 
loading with  lighters,  a  slow  and  tedious  operation. 

On  August  8th,  H  troop  and  the  First  City 
Troop,  of  Philadelphia,  started  from  Ponce  to 
Guayama,  escorting  a  large  train  and  about  one 
thousand     mules     en    route    to    General     Brooke's 


SANTIAGO.  285 

command.  The  two  troops  and  train  arrived  at 
Guayama  August   loth. 

On  August  13th,  the  troop  broke  camp  and 
moved  out  to  participate  in  the  engagement  about 
to  take  place  at  Guamani  Heights,  but  news  of 
the  signing  of  the  peace  protocol  being  received, 
active  operations  ceased  and  the  troop  went  into 
camp  at  Guayama,  remaining  until  September,  when 
it  escorted  General  Brooke  across  the  island  to 
Rio  Piedras,  a  suburb  of  San  Juan.  The  troop 
remained  in  camp  there  until  late  in  October. 

On  October  5th,  the  troop  participated  in  the 
ceremony  of  raising  the  American  flag  at  Carolina, 
on  the  northern  coast,  and  about  two  weeks  later 
was  present  at  a  similar  ceremony  in  San  Juan, 
being  the  first  American  troop  to  enter  the  island 
capital. 

The  troop  was  quartered  in  "  L'escuela  del  Pios," 
a  school  building  in  San  Turce,  a  suburb  of  San 
Juan,  and  remained  until  November  24th,  when  it 
sailed  on  the  transport  "  Michigan,"  for  Savannah, 
Georgia.  Upon  arrival  at  its  destination  the  troop 
disembarked  November  30th,  and  proceeding  by  rail 
to  Huntsville,  Alabama,  rejoined  the  regiment  De- 
cember 2d,  after  an  absence  of  seven  months. 

After  arrival  of  the  regiment  at  Tampa,  Troops 
L  and  M,  which  had  been  skeletonized  in  1890, 
were  reorganized,  the  remaining  troops    were   filled 


286  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

up  to  I  GO  men  each,  and  everything  possible  was 
done  to  get  the  mass  of  new  material  assimilated 
before  the  hour  of  battle.  It  is  neither  expedient 
nor  profitable  to  enter  into  the  harassing  obstacles 
encountered,  for  every  real  cavalryman  knows  how 
impossible  it  is  to  make  an  educated  trooper  out 
of  a  raw  recruit  in  a  few  days. 

The  Fifth  Army  Corps  was  organized  under 
Major-General  Shafter,  in  anticipation  of  foreign 
service,  but  transports  for  an  army  cannot  be 
prepared — mobilized,  as  it  were — at  a  moment's 
warning  to  meet  such  unusual  demands,  even  when 
funds  are  available  to  a  lavish  degree.  In  the 
course  of  a  few  weeks,  however,  a  fleet  of  more 
than  thirty  transports  was  assembled  in  Tampa  bay. 

The  wildest  dreamer  of  the  hour  was  not  gifted 
with  prescience  enough  to  foretell  that  this  hastily 
equipped  expedition  was  soon  to  cause  the  whole 
fabric  of  Spain's  power  to  crumble  to  dust,  and 
that  a  brief  campaign  on  a  foreign  shore  was  to 
convince  the  civilized  world  that  the  word  "soldier" 
was  typified  in  its  highest  sense  in  the  American 
regular. 

All  this  preparation  at  Tampa  betokened  early 
active  service  and  gave  Spain  much  uneasiness 
concerning  the  probable  destination  of  the  expe- 
dition. Various  plans  were  on  foot  for  landing  the 
regulars  on  the  coast  of  Cuba,  notwithstanding  the 


NIGHT    ALARM,    TAMPA.    18yb. 


SANTIAGO.  287 

sickly  season  was  at  hand,  but  before  anything 
definite  had  been  determined  upon  the  following 
brief  cable  message  from  Admiral  Sampson,  off 
Santiago,  put  further  discussion  at  rest : 

"  If  10,000  men  were  here,  city  and  fleet  would  be  ours 
within  forty-eight  hours.  Every  consideration  demands  im- 
mediate army  movement." 

The  President  gave  instructions  for  the  immediate 
sailing  of  the  expedition,  and  in  communicating  the 
orders  the  Adjutant-General  added  his  favorite 
phrase,  "  Time  is  the  essence  of  the  situation." 

The  regiments  composing  the  cavalry  division 
received  orders  about  "  tattoo "  and,  notwithstand- 
ing all  the  arrangements  made  necessary  through 
the  abandonment  of  the  horses,  the  regiment  with 
its  baggage  was  entrained  during  the  night  and 
arrived  at  Port  Tampa,  nine  miles  away,  at  day- 
light the   following  morning,  June  8th. 

There  was  no  provision  made  for  cavalry  horses 
in  the  final  plans,  so  each  regiment  was  compelled 
to  leave  behind  a  squadron  to  care  for  the  animals. 
The  headquarters,  band,  and  Troops  A,  B,  C,  D, 
E,  F,  G  and  K,  averaging  fifty-four  dismounted 
men  each,  all  selected  soldiers,  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Henry  Carroll  commanding,  were  assigned  to  the 
transport  "  Rio  Grande."  The  Colonel,  S.  S.  Sumner, 
had  been  promoted  to  Brigadier-General  of  Volun- 
teers and  assigned  to  command  the  brigade  in  which 
the  Sixth  was  then  serving. 


288  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

The  fleet  did  not  sail  for  a  week  owing  to  a 
false  rumor,  sent  in  by  a  naval  vessel,  concerning 
the  near  presence  of  a  Spanish  fleet.  This  mythi- 
cal fleet  having  been  disposed  of,  the  army  sailed 
on  June  14th,  not  having  been  improved  by  the 
enforced  confinement  on  board  the  vessels  at  a 
southern  port  in  midsummer. 

After  an  uneventful  voyage  through  the  Bahama 
Channel,  the  transports,  convoyed  by  the  navy, 
arrived  off  Santiago  where  Admiral  Sampson,  with 
his  magnificent  fleet,  was  blockading  Admiral  Cer- 
vera's  squadron  within  the  narrow  harbor. 

There  were  no  wharves  at  which  to  disembark 
the  troops,  so  the  navy  supplied  their  small  boats 
and  landed  the  army  through  the  surf  on  the  open 
coast  as  rapidly  as  could  be  done  under  such  condi- 
tions. A  moderate  storm  would  have  scattered 
the  fleet  of  transports  and  prevented  the  landing. 

The  regiment  disembarked  at  Daiquiri  June  23d, 
and  went  into  bivouac  about  a  mile  from  the  wharf, 
without  baofSfaofe  other  than  what  each  officer  and 
man  carried  on  his  person.  Two  days  later  Troops 
F  and  G  escorted  Grimes'  and  Parkhurst's  batteries 
to  Siboney.  Next  day  the  two  troops  rejoined 
the  regiment,  when  all  moved  forward  to  the 
Sevilla  sugar  house.  The  action  at  La  Guasima 
had,  in  the  meantime,  been  fought  and  the  Spanish 
outposts  driven  in,  on  June  24th,  by  General  Young's 
brigade,  of  the  cavalry  division. 


DISMOUNTED  CAVALRYMAN,   SANTIAGO   CAMPAIGN. 


SANTIAGO.  289 

On  June  30th,  the  regiment  marched  at  night  with 
the  cavalry  division  to  El  Poso,  and  camped  in 
the  road  near  the  Cuban  contingent.  About  6  a.  m. 
the  Cubans  moved  to  the  front  along  the  road,  but 
had  proceeded  only  a  few  hundred  yards  when  they 
halted,  blocking  the  way  for  the  cavalry  following 
in  rear.  The  Ninth  Cavalry  was  directed  to  take 
the  head  of  the  column  and  pushed  forward  through 
the  crowd  of  Cubans,  who  made  way  for  them  to 
pass.  The  leading  troop,  H,  formed  as  advance 
guard  and  moved  forward  to  the  Aguadores  Ford, 
about  one  mile  distant.  The  vanguard  platoon 
crossed  over  and  had  proceeded  two  or  three  hun- 
dred yards  when  about  half  a  dozen  shots  were 
fired  by  the  enemy  ;  the  advance  halted  and  was 
promptly  reenforced. 

About  7  a.  m.,  Grimes'  battery,  which  had  taken 
position  on  El  Poso  Hill,  opened  on  the  Spanish 
entrenchments  along  the  San  Juan  ridge,  and  the 
Spanish  guns  replied  immediately,  the  fire  passing 
over  the  troops.  The  Cubans  disappeared  in  the 
chaparral  at  the  first  casualty  in  their  ranks. 

While  the  Ninth  Cavalry  deployed  to  the  right, 
the  first  squadron  of  the  Sixth,  A,  D,  E  and  G 
troops,  moved  across  the  Aguadores  Creek  and 
endeavored  to  form  to  the  left  of  the  Santiago  road, 
but  finding  the  underbrush  impassable,  returned  to 
and  moved  forward  on  the  road,  the  second  squadron 
19 


290  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

having  been  directed  to  support  the  first.  The  men 
were  stripped  of  their  blanket  rolls  and  haversacks, 
which  were  piled  beside  the  road,  under  guard. 

Captain  Howze,  having  reported  Spanish  out- 
posts directly  in  front,  Colonel  Carroll,  command- 
ing the  Brigade — General  Sumner  was  in  command 
of  the  cavalry  division  at  this  time — ordered  Cap- 
tain J.  B.  Kerr  forward  with  the  second  squadron, 
consisting  of  B,  C,  F  and  K  troops.  This  squad- 
ron then  formed  the  advance  of  the  cavalry  division, 
and  after  crossing  the  stream,  deployed  in  two 
lines,  B  and  K  troops  in  the  first,  and  C  and  F  in 
the  second.  Advancing,  the  squadron  drove  in  the 
sentinels  and  pickets,  who  retreated  in  the  direction 
of  San  Juan  Hill  and  the  main  blockhouse.  Wire 
fences  and  entanglements  were  encountered  as  soon 
as  the  stream  was  crossed,  but  were  cut  by  troop- 
ers who  had  been  supplied  with  nippers  for  such 
an  emergency. 

The  squadron  advanced  by  short  rushes,  with  long 
intervals,  to  enable  the  men  to  get  through  the 
difficult  brush  and  grass  and  reform  the  line,  which 
was  more  or  less  broken  each  time  by  the  obstacles. 
The  squadron  advanced  in  this  way  in  front  of  the 
cavalry  division  until  a  point  about  400  yards  from, 
and  somewhat  under,  San  Juan  Hill,  was  reached. 
The  position  now  occupied  was  partially  sheltered 
by  the  nature  of  the  ground  as  well  as  by  the  steep 
slope    of    the   hill    itself.       Only   the    heads    of    the 


SANTIAGO.  291 

enemy  could  be  seen  and  sometimes  their  fire  con- 
tinued when  not  even  their  heads  were  visible. 
This  was  accomplished  by  the  Spaniards  delivering 
their  fire  without  any  attempt  at  aiming.  They  laid 
their  Mauser  rifles  on  the  parapet  and  directing 
the  muzzles  downward,  pulled  the  triggers  without 
exposing  themselves. 

Whilst  the  second  squadron  was  working  up  to 
this  stage  of  battle,  the  first  squadron,  under  Cap- 
tain Stanton — the  regiment  was  under  command  of 
Major  Lebo  after  Colonel  Carroll  assumed  com- 
mand of  the  briofade — moved  forward  and  formed 
on  the  left.  A  troop  was  the  extreme  left  of  the 
cavalry  division  connecting  with  General  Hawkins' 
brigade  of  infantry. 

After  the  First  Brigade  had  begun  its  deploy- 
ment, the  Second  arrived  and  started  to  execute  an 
order  to  move  toward  the  El  Caney  road  to  connect 
with  the  left  of  General  Lawton's  division,  to 
which  had  been  assigned  the  task  of  first  reducing 
the  Spanish  position  at  El  Caney  and  then  connect- 
ing with  the  right  of  the  cavalry  division  in  the 
main  attack.  El  Caney  proved  more  formidable 
than  had  been  anticipated,  and  the  junction  was 
found  impracticable,  owing  to  the  non-arrival  of 
Lawton's  left. 

The  troops  had  met  with  considerable  delay  in 
the  narrow  road  and  after  about  an  hour  they  were 
seriously  interfered  with  by   the  appearance  of  the 


292  FROM    YORKTOWN   TO    SANTIAGO. 

chief  engineer  with  a  captive  balloon,  which  was 
dragged  along  the  road  and  anchored  near  the 
crossing,  cutting  the  cavalry  division  into  two  parts. 
The  balloon  attracted  an  incessant  shrapnel  and 
small  arm  fire  which  was  concentrated  on  the  road 
and  crossing,  and  caused  many  casualties  without 
any  compensation  so  far  as  could  be  discovered  by 
those  under  fire. 

When  the  deployment  of  the  First  Brigade  was 
completed,  the  Sixth  was  in  advance,  the  Ninth  on 
its  right  and  slightly  in  rear,  and  the  Third  immedi- 
ately in  rear  of  the  Sixth.  When  the  Second 
Brigade  emerged  from  the  crossing,  the  First  Vol- 
unteer Cavalry  led  off  to  the  right,  along  the  bank 
of  the  stream,  in  the  futile  effort  to  connect  with 
Lawton's  left ;  the  regiment  was  soon  halted  and 
held  in  reserve  at  a  sunken  road.  The  First 
Cavalry  (regulars)  formed  in  rear  of  the  First 
Brigade  with  the  Tenth  on  its  right  rear.  This 
placed  the  First  Volunteer  Cavalry  on  the  right  of 
the  Second  Brigade. 

The  men  laid  down  and  waited  further  deployment 
of  the  army.  While  lying  down,  a  dynamite  gun  was 
run  up  between  E  and  G  troops  of  the  Sixth  and 
fired  two  shells,  when  the  gun  became  disabled  and 
retired.  These  two  shots,  however,  brought  a  storm 
of  shrapnel  and  small  arm  missiles  from  the  enemy's 
lines,  which  killed  and  wounded  a  number  of  men. 


SANTIAGO.  293 

The  whole  division  was  now  constantly  under 
observation  and  fire  and  was  losing  a  great  many 
men  without  being  able  to  retaliate  on  the  en- 
trenched enemy.  It  had  become  committed  to  imme- 
diate battle  or  the  necessity  of  retiring  with  loss 
to  some  other  position,  an  alternative  not  consid- 
ered for  a  moment.  At  about  noon,  Lieutenant 
Miley  gave  General  Shafter's  order  for  the  attack. 
The  period  of  waiting  under  fire  had  been  most 
trying  and  would  have  been  impossible  except  with 
an  army  of  regulars  accompanied  by  troop  leaders 
and  subordinate  officers  in  whose  courage,  training 
and  professional  ability  the  men  in  the  ranks  had 
absolute  confidence  and  faith  born  of  experience. 

When  the  advance  began,  the  second  squadron 
of  the  Sixth  was  in  the  extreme  front  to  the  right 
of  the  Santiago  road,  and  opposite  the  Kettle  Hill. 
All  its  reserves  had  been  put  in  the  firing  line. 
The  first  squadron  was  on  the  left,  covering  the 
Santiago  road.  The  regiment  waded  the  San  Juan 
river  about  waist  deep,  and  moved  to  the  assault 
of  both  Kettle  Hill  and  Fort  San  Juan.  Almost 
immediately  the  troops  assaulting  Kettle  Hill  were 
assailed  with  a  heavy  fire  from  Fort  San  Juan  on  the 
left.  Some  of  the  troops  assaulting  Kettle  Hill  were 
wheeled  slightly  to  the  left  and  opened  fire  in  reply, 
but  Parker's  Gatling  guns  were  soon  brought  into 
action  and  silenced  this  enfilade  fire  from   the  fort. 


294  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

The  ground  over  which  the  regiment  moved  for- 
ward to  the  assault  was  bottom  land  covered  with 
high  grass.  There  was  a  pond  in  this  bottom  which 
proved  to  be  obstacle  enough  to  split  the  regiment. 
The  troops  which  passed  on  the  side  next  to 
General  Hawkins'  Infantry  Brigade,  moved  forward 
past  a  portion  of  the  Sixth  Infantr}^  D  and  part 
of  A  troop,  of  the  first  squadron,  took  part  in  the 
assault  on  the  San  Juan  blockhouse,  and  joining  a 
few  of  General  Hawkins'  infantrymen  at  the  foot 
of  the  slope,  charged  up  the  hill  and  gained  the 
crest.  Captain  Blocksom,  commanding  D  troop, 
was  wounded  before  reaching  the  foot  of  the  hill, 
but  Lieutenant  Short  gallantly  carried  this  part  of 
the  line  forward  and  reached  the  crest  amongst  the 
first,  there  being  only  a  few  scattered  infantrymen 
in  sight.  Lieutenant  Short  was  wounded  soon  after 
reaching  the  hilltop.  His  conduct  attracted  the 
attention  of  those  who  first  arrived  at  the  Spanish 
position,   one    of  whom    made  the  following  report : 

The  Adjutant  General,  U.  S.  Army, 
Washington,  D.  C. 
Sir: — I  have  the  honor  to  recommend  that  a  medal  of  honor 
be  awarded  to  Lieutenant  Walter  C.  Short,  6th  Cavalry,  for 
his  conspicuous  gallantry  in  leading  a  detachment  of  men  of 
his  regiment,  in  advance  of  the  line  of  battle,  to  the  summit 
of  San  Juan  Hill,  where  he  was  among  the  first  to  arrive  at 
the  blockhouse,  known  as  "  Fort  San  Juan  " ;  this  on  the  first 
day  of  July,  1898,  near  Santiago  de  Cuba. 


SANTIAGO.  295 

I  was  an  eye-witness  of  Lieutenant  Short's  gallantry  in  this 
successful  assault,  and  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  its  happy 
result  was  as  much  due  to  Lieutenant  Short's  example  and 
bravery  as  to  that  of  any  single  line  officer  engaged. 

As  his  advance  took  him  away  from  the  main  body  of  his 
regiment,  I  do  not  know  that  any  of  his  proper  commanding 
officers  witnessed  his  conduct.  For  this  reason,  I  make  this 
recommendation,  believing  that  such  gallantry  should  be  duly 
rewarded. 

General  Hawkins  may  also  remember  seeing  Lieutenant 
Short  at  the  blockhouse,  if  further  corroborative  evidence  is 
needed. 

Very  respectfully, 

L.  W.  V.  Kennon, 

Captain,  6th  Infantry." 

Troops  E  and  G  of  this  squadron  were  deflected 
to  the  right  and  assaulted  the  San  Juan  house. 
They  joined  there  a  mixed  body  of  troops  under 
Major  Wessels,  Third  Cavalry,  and  opened  fire  across 
the  valley  on  the  Fort  San  Juan  ridge.  After 
firing  for  some  time,  this  part  of  the  line  advanced, 
crossed  the  second  valley  and  carried  the  hill  on 
which  was  located  the  of^cers'  mess-house,  about 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  north  of  Fort  San  Juan.  Pri- 
vate Tilden  Hughes,  Troop  G,  was  the  first  soldier 
of  the  regiment  to  reach  this  strongly  intrenched 
position  and  he  captured  a  Spanish  prisoner. 

Soon  after  reaching  the  mess-house.  Major 
Wessels  was  wounded.  Captain  Howze,  Assistant 
Adjutant  General,  then  conveyed  an  order  to  the 
senior   ofificer,  Captain    F.  West,    Si.xth    Cavalry,  to 


296  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

take  the  mixed  command  forward  and  capture  the 
next  hill  to  the  right  front,  which  commanded  the 
position  of  the  enemy  as  well  as  the  line  now  being 
occupied  by  the  cavalry  division.  This  hill  was 
captured  and  was  the  most  advanced  position  taken 
towards  Santiago,  near  the  center  of  the  line.  Cap- 
tain West  detached  Captain  McBlain,  Ninth  Cavalry, 
to  capture  another  commanding  hill  to  the  right,  which 
was  done  with  some  loss.  These  positions  consti- 
tuted the  most  advanced  part  of  the  line  occupied 
by  the  trenches  of  the  cavalry  during  the  siege. 

While  the  second  squadron  was  lying  across  the 
Santiago  road  closely  investing  the  San  Juan  Hill 
and  blockhouse,  much  of  the  artillery  and  small- 
arm  fire,  aimed  at  the  advancing  troops,  passed 
high  over  the  line.  Heavy  volleys  were  frequently 
directed  at  the  line  itself  one  of  which  killed  several 
men  and  wounded  a  number.  The  squadron  com- 
mander. Captain  J.  B.  Kerr,  was  wounded  at  this 
time  but  remained  on  duty  until  the  final  assault 
of  the  heights. 

About  this  time  it  was  discovered  that  the  right 
of  the  Sixth  and  the  left  of  the  Ninth  had  become 
separated  in  moving  through  the  brush.  The  First 
Cavalry  (regulars),  which  belonged  to  the  second 
brigade,  moved  up  from  the  rear  and  its  command- 
ing officer,  having  been  informed  of  the  situation, 
promptly  filled  the  gap  with  Captain  Tutherly's 
squadron  of  his  regiment. 


SANTIAGO.  297 

When  this  part  of  the  line  moved  to  the  assault, 
the  second  squadron  of  the  Sixth  reached  a  point 
on  the  hillside  about  sixty  yards  from  the  crest, 
where  it  was  compelled  to  halt  for  about  half  an 
hour  to  enable  the  other  troops  to  come  up.  It 
was  so  close  to  the  Spanish  entrenchments  as  to 
be  protected  from  their  fire  and  the  enemy  did  not 
venture  a  sortie.  When  the  lines  were  somewhat 
closed,  the  final  rush  for  the  crest  took  place  and 
the  Spaniards  broke  from  their  entrenchments  and 
fled  to  the  rear,  their  retreat  being  accelerated  by 
a  deadly  fire  from  the  American  lines,  which  also 
caused  the  reserves  to  retreat  in  haste,  notwith- 
standinof  the  strenuous  efforts  of  several  mounted 
Spanish  officers,  who  vainly  endeavored  to  stem  the 
tide  of  defeat.  The  accurate  fire  of  the  Americans 
quickly  unhorsed  most  of  these  officers. 

When  the  effort  to  connect  with  Lawton's  left 
was  abandoned,  the  second  brigade  was  in  rear  of 
the  first,  and  consequently  was  directed  to  support 
the  line  in  front.  The  entire  cavalry  division 
numbered  less  than  2500  dismounted  men.  The 
lines  were  very  thin — mere  skirmish  lines — so  that 
when  the  second  brigade  moved  forward  in  support, 
portions  of  the  two  regular  regiments  and  the  First 
Volunteer  Cavalry  (Rough  Riders)  became  mingled 
with  the  regiments  in  front  and  in  the  final  rush 
the  whole  division  participated  in  the  onslaught  on 
the   Spanish  lines. 


298  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

At  the  close  of  this  most  successful  day,  during 
which  the  whole  cavalry  division — regulars  and 
volunteers — had  given  a  brilliant  example  of  well- 
directed  courage,  the  Spaniards  had  been  driven 
completely  from  their  strong  position  on  the  crests 
of  the  ridges  surrounding  Santiago.  The  regiments 
had  become  much  broken  up  by  the  difficult  move- 
ment through  the  brush  and  tall  grass,  but  true  to 
their  traditions,  they  had  all  gone  forward  to  strike 
the  enemy  at  the  nearest  point.  This  caused  a 
mixing  up  of  organizations  which  it  was  not  prac- 
ticable to  rectify  until  towards  evening,  when  the 
battle  was  over.  The  Sixth  was  assembled  on  the 
San  Juan  Hill,  with  the  left  resting  near  Fort  San 
Juan  and  the  right  near  the  Santiago  road.  During 
the  night  rifle-pits  were  dug  to  resist  any  attack 
by  the  enemy  from  their  inner  line,  to  which  they 
had  been  forced  back. 

Before  daylight  next  morning, — July  2d — three 
batteries  of  artillery  were  brought  up  on  the  line 
occupied  by  the  regiment  which  then  acted  as  a 
support,  the  men  lying  between  the  guns.  As  soon 
as  there  was  light  enough,  the  batteries  opened 
and  drew  from  the  Spaniards  such  a  concentration 
of  fire  that,  after  a  few  rounds,  the  guns  were 
withdrawn  from  the  line.  The  enemy,  however, 
continued  firing  throughout  the  day,  the  regiment 
occupying  the  trenches  dug  at  the  close  of  the 
fight  the  preceding  night. 


SANTIAGO.  299 

About  10  p.  m,,  July  2d,  a  heavy  fire  began  and 
was  taken  up  by  both  Hnes  for  about  an  hour,  but 
no  assault  was  made  on  the  cavalry  division.  The 
action  was  resumed  on  the  morning  of  July  3d  and 
continued  until  noon,  when  a  truce  was  pronounced 
which  lasted  until  5  p.  m.,  July  loth.  Cannonading 
was  then  resumed  and  lasted  until  noon  next  day, 
July  nth,  after  which  no  more  firing  took  place 
during  the  siege. 

On  July  14th  an  armistice  was  arranged,  followed 
by  formal  surrender  on  the  17th,  when  the  regi- 
mental band  had  the  honor  of  being  selected  to 
salute  the  flag  as  it  was  run  up  on  the  Palace, 
in  the  city  of  Santiago  de  Cuba,  to  replace  the 
Spanish  ensign  which  was  soon  to  fall  from  every 
staff  in  the  island  possessions  of  Spain. 

The  day  following  the  formal  surrender  the  regi- 
ment marched  with  the  cavalry  division  to  the  foot 
of  the  mountains,  northwest  of  El  Caney,  and 
established  a  camp,  such  as  was  possible  in  the 
absence  of  all  the  usual  baggage  which  had  been 
left  on  the  transports  and  was  not  received  for 
more  than  a  month,  when  the  transports  were 
unloaded  in  the  harbor  of  Santiago.  While  in  this 
camp  the  regiment  generally  was  stricken  with 
malarial  and  other  fevers. 

It  had  been  the  intention  to  send  the  cavalry 
and  part  of  the  infantr}^  on  the  transports  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  Porto  Rico  campaign.    The  exposure 


300  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

to  rain  and  sun  without  shelter  during  the  summer 
season  on  the  unhealthy  coast  of  Cuba  had  so 
affected  the  troops  that,  when  yellow  fever  broke 
out,  the  plan  for  utilizing  them  in  Porto  Rico  was 
abandoned,  and  orders  were  given  to  transport  all 
but  the  sick  to  Montauk  Point,  Long  Island,  where 
a  large  camp  was  established. 

The  Sixth  was  the  first  regiment  to  embark, 
boarding  the  transport  "  Gate  City,"  August  7th, 
and  sailing  out  of  Santiago  harbor  next  day.  The 
regiment  landed  on  Long  Island  August  13th. 
After  spending  three  days  in  the  detention  camp, 
it  was  released  and  joined  the  squadron  which  had 
been  left  at  Tampa,  and  later  moved  to  Montauk 
Point,  with  the  horses,  to  await  the  return  of  the 
dismounted  squadrons  from  Santiago. 

The  regiment  took  into  battle  at  San  Juan  six- 
teen officers  and  four  hundred  and  twenty-seven 
men.  Four  officers,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Carroll, 
Captains  Kerr  and  Blocksom  and  Lieutenant  Short 
were  wounded.  Four  men  were  killed  and  fifty 
wounded.  Twenty-five  per  cent  of  the  officers 
and  a  trifle  more  than  twelve  per  cent  of  the  men 
engaged  being  struck  by  Spanish  bullets,  is  a  fair 
indication  that  the  regiment  participated  with  honor. 

The  discipline  and  instruction  of  the  regular  army 
has  always  and  steadfastly  had  for  its  object  the 
preparation  for  battle.  The  nature  of  the  fight, 
from  the  moment  the  Spaniards  opened  fire  on  the 


SANTIAGO.  301 

column  in  the  road  up  to  the  final  assault  and  cap- 
ture of  the  entrenched  lines  of  the  enemy,  had 
rendered  impossible  the  carrying-out  of  all  the 
details  for  battle,  so  carefully  instilled  in  the  minds 
of  officers  and  men  of  the  army  during  the  past 
ten  years,  but  if  ever  an  army  deserved  credit 
for  moving  without  reserves  to  the  sound  of  the 
enemy's  guns  unwavering,  resistlessly,  fearlessly  and 
successfully,  it  was  this  regular  army  at  Santiago 
on  that  memorable  July   ist,   1898. 

There  have  been  many  minor  criticisms  of  this 
brief  campaign,  and  many  writers,  usually  without 
military  experience,  have  endeavored  to  show  how 
everything  should  have  been  done.  Volumes  have 
been  written  on  the  meagre  railroad  facilities  at 
Tampa,  of  the  hurried  and  improper  loading  of 
transports,  of  the  disembarkation  and  misbehavior 
of  transport  captains,  etc.,  etc.  All  these  complaints 
dwindle  into  insignificant  trifles  when  weighed  with 
the  results. 

Every  officer  and  man  in  the  regular  army  was 
anxious  to  go  on  this  expedition  at  all  hazards, 
knowing  that  aside  from  the  climate  there  was 
little  hardship  to  be  feared  which  would  exceed 
that  of  former  years  on  the  frontier,  or  that  endured 
throughout  the  Civil  War. 

The  planning  and  execution  of  such  an  expedi- 
tion was  a  new  and  untried  experience.  The  results 
obtained  will   remain   upon   the  pages  of  history  as 


302  FROM    YORKTOWN   TO    SANTIAGO. 

a  marvelous  achievement,  and  the  officers  and  men 
of  each  and  every  regiment  which  had  the  honor 
to  participate,  may  well  feel  proud  that  through 
their  gallantry  the  name  of  "Santiago"  will  remain 
emblazoned  on  their  standards,  and  be  noted  in 
the  archives  so  long  as  the  Republic  exists,  for 
should  the  moment  ever  arrive  when  patriotism, 
loyalty  and  courage  to  defend  its  flag  are  no  longer 
regarded  as  the  highest  attributes  of  American 
citizenship,  that  hour  will  mark  the  decline  and  fall 
of  the  Republic. 

It  seems  fitting  that  the  history  of  the  regiment 
should  close  here  with  the  brief  story  of  its  parti- 
cipation in  the  war  with  Spain.  Soon  after  its  arri- 
val at  Montauk  Point,  the  regiment  went  with  the 
cavalry  division  to  Huntsville,  Alabama,  and  later 
was  scattered  over  the  plains  and  mountains  of 
the  far  west,  even  to  California  ;  back  again  to  its 
duties  of  standing  guard  over  the  interests  of  the 
people,  which  have  never  been  more  safe  than 
when  in  the  keeping  of  the  regulars,  who  have 
marked  their  guardianship  on  hundreds  of  battle- 
fields, with  the  best  blood  of  the  nation. 

It  is  a  simple  story,  and  all  too  brief  to  be  dig- 
nified with  the  title  of  history.  It  would  require 
volumes  to  fully  describe  the  individual  experiences 
of  officers  and  men  in  the  Civil  War  alone,  and 
there  was  much  of  an  heroic  character  in   the  daily 


SANTIAGO. 


life  on  the  old  frontier  where,  to  the  natural  and 
manifold  difficulties  of  the  situation,  there  was  an 
added  element  of  Indian  cunning  and  treachery  to 
be  reckoned  with. 

It  is  not  probable,  under  the  present  system  of 
promotion,  that  the  same  sjDirit  of  regimental  pride 
and  rivalry  will  exist 
as  in  days  of  yore, 
but  let  it  be  hoped 
that  what  the  indi- 
vidual regiment  loses, 
the  whole  service  will 
gain  in  an  esprit  de 
corps  comprehensive 
enough  to  include  all 
the  regiments  of  the 
best  and  most  prac- 
tical little  army  in  the 
world. 


304 


FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 


AFTERMATH. 

UCH  similarity  exists  in  the 
history  of  the  cavalry  regi- 
ments of  the  regular  army. 
The  same  high  ideals  of 
duty  and  the  same  ambi- 
tions pervade  them  all. 
At  some  period  in  each 
regimental  life  a  forceful  commander  may  firmly 
impress  his  individual  character  upon  the  customs 
of  a  particular  organization,  which,  becoming  tradi- 
tions, may  be  commemorated  by  peculiarity  of  dress, 
features  of  parade,  special  music,  and  in  many 
other  significant  ways. 

With  the  exception  of  the  Sixth,  all  were  organized 
primarily  for  service  against  hostile  Indians.  Prior 
to  the  Civil  War  there  was  more  or  less  rivalry  in 
the  mounted  forces,  the  two  dragoon  regiments 
assuming  that  they  were  justly  entitled  to  first 
place  as  compared  to  the  more  recently  organized 
mounted  rifles  and  cavalry  regiments.  The  regi- 
ments vary  rather  in  length,  than  in  character  of 
service,   and   both   individually   and    collectively   are 


AFfERMATH,  305 

equal  to  any  mounted  force  of  like  size  the  world 
over. 

In  the  hurr}^  and  rush  of  war  many  valuable  les- 
sons are  lost  to  future  generations,  because  those 
who  have  learned  them  by  hard  experience  are 
apt  to  consider  that  the  only  school,  and  leave  to 
others  the  acquisition  of  knowledge,  in  a  similar 
manner. 

The  services  of  the  Sixth  illustrate  quite  thor- 
oughly the  development  of  the  American  cavalry 
idea.  Entering  the  Peninsular  campaign  equipped 
as  light  cavalry,  without  carbines,  it  required  but  a 
brief  experience  for  those  in  authority  to  recognize 
the  limitations  placed  on  cavalry,  suited  only  to  the 
charge,  operating  in  a  heavily  wooded  country  with 
but  few  places  sufficiently  open  for  mounted  action. 

The  squadron  with  carbines  proved  itself  inval- 
uable as  the  advance  guard  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  on  the  march  up  the  Peninsula,  and  every 
effort  was  made  to  similarly  arm  the  other  squadrons. 

As  time  passed  and  the  cavalry  corps  was  armed 
with  breech-loading  carbines,  the  full  value  of  their 
united  action  began  to  dawn  on  the  enemy  before 
it  was  appreciated  by  infantry  comrades,  who  prof- 
ited by  the  hard  and  brilliant  work  of  the  mounted 
force.  The  Confederates  were  for  sonie  time 
deceived  by  the  intense  volume  of  fire  delivered 
by  dismounted  cavalry,  and  imagined  themselves 
20 


306  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

opposed  by  much  larger  forces  because  they  were 
unaccustomed  to  breech-loading  arms. 

The  frequency  with  which  the  cavalry  was  put 
into  action,  dismounted,  often  caused  that  arm  to 
be  referred  to  as  mounted  infantry.  There  is  no 
comparison  between  the  two  organizations,  and, 
thanks  to  the  gallant  leaders  who  adhered  firmly 
to  their  beliefs,  the  Civil  War  developed  the  Amer- 
ican cavalry  into  an  arm  capable  of  mounted  action 
of  which  no  army  need  be  ashamed,  and  on  the 
other  hand  left  a  record  of  dismounted  fighting 
second  to  no  infantry  in  the  world.  The  younger 
generation  held  tenaciously  to  the  teachings  of  the 
Civil  War,  and  while  the  cavalrymen  have,  in  the 
past  quarter  of  a  century,  earned  for  themselves 
substantial  reputation  as  riders  on  the  frontier,  they 
have  never  had  to  yield  the  palm  of  superiority  in 
the  field  or  on  the  target  range  to  their  comrades 
of  other  branches. 

An  arm  whose  traditions  demand  excellence  in 
all  things  need  never  fear  to  meet  the  best  cavalry 
of  other  nations  in  mounted  combat.  On  the 
other  hand  the  brilliant  success  of  the  dismounted 
cavalry  division  at  Santiago  is  significant  of  the 
versatile  character  of  the  American  cavalryman. 
Separated  suddenly  from  their  horses,  put  aboard 
ships  in  midsummer,  disembarked  in  the  surf  of  a 
tropical   and  foreign   shore,   placed   in    advance    and 


Y 


I  'jT>\t '  '^~~-'  nr 


i 


BATTLE    MONUMENT    AT    WEST    POINT. 


AFTERMATH.  3O7 

carrying  the  same  packs  as  their  infantry  comrades, 
they  went  forward  promptly  to  the  scene  of  battle. 
Without  supports  of  any  kind,  the  dismounted 
cavalry  regiments  moved  to  the  assault  of  an 
entrenched  position  and  in  face  of  all  theory 
and  academic  teaching  wrested  victory  from  their 
astonished  opponents,  and  side  by  side  with  their 
gallant  comrades  of  the  infantry,  with  scant  rations 
and  shelter,  entered  upon  the  seige  of  a  fortified 
town  to  reap  the  full  fruits  of  their  hard-bought 
victory  in  the  open  field.  History  does  not  record 
a  more  complete  justification  of  a  system  than  that 
thus  rendered  to  the  organization  and  training  of 
the  American  Cavalry. 

The  progress  of  events  in  the  Philippines,  since 
the  advent  of  one  cavalry  brigade  in  the  theater  of 
operations,  gives  additional  proof  as  to  the  value 
of  modern  cavalry ;  and,  in  the  Transvaal,  the  British 
have  learned  what  an  invaluable  component  of  their 
forces  the  dragoons  have  become. 

The  public  is  always  apt  to  exaggerate  the  merits 
of  the  few  at  the  expense  of  the  many,  to  whose 
combined  efforts  all  success  is  due.  In  the  eager- 
ness to  show  honestly  conceived  appreciation,  heroes 
are  sometimes  made  of  those  who  are  not  the  most 
deserving  and  thus  the  truly  great,  but  more 
modest,  are  defrauded  of  rightful  honors. 

Opportunity  and  influence  must  be  reckoned  with 


308  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

by  all  who  have  ambitious  dreams  of  military-  fame, 
and  history  shows  a  trail  of  broken  hearts  and 
wrongs  which  will  never  be  righted,  in  the  wake  of 
ever}-  war.  The  Revolution,  the  Mexican  War,  the 
Civil  War,  and  the  war  with  Spain,  have  all  left 
their  scars  in  uneven  distribution  of  rewards. 

The  officers  and  men  who  perform  their  allotted 
tasks  without  expectation  of  reward,  other  than 
that  which  comes  from  a  consciousness  of  duty 
rightly  done,  may  always  be  counted  upon  for  more 
than  a  yeoman's  share  in  the  hour  of  battle  "just 
for  the  honor  of  the  old  regiment."  Their  presence 
habitually  with  the  colors,  fitting  themselves  and 
their  organizations  for  battle,  makes  success  far 
more  substantial  than  the  theatrical  display  of  a 
few  human  comets,  who  shoot  across  the  military 
sky  in  every  war  and  not  infrequently  secure  the 
reward  which  rightly  belongs  to  the  many.  This 
is  fate, — even  in  the  national  wars  of  the  present 
day  where  soldiers  of  fortune  find  no  legitimate 
place. 

But  when  armed  men  grow  weary  of  strife  and 
the  implements  of  war  are  laid  aside,  the  real 
heart  of  the  nation  goes  out  to  the  honored  dead. 
He  who  gives  up  his  life  in  hospital,  camp  or 
prison,  from  exposure  and  disease,  is  as  worthy  a 
patriot  as  he  who  dies  at  the  cannon's  mouth  ;  but 
nations  love   most  to   honor   those   who    fall  in    the 


AFTERMATH.  3O9 

forefront  of  battle,  winning  peace  through  over- 
powering victory. 

The  Battle  Monument  at  West  Point  contains 
the  names  of  eight  officers  and  forty-seven  men  of 
the  Sixth  Cavalry,  killed  in  action  during  the  mighty 
struggle  of  1861-65.  The  towering  monolith  faces 
the  gateway  of  the  Hudson  Highlands,  guarding 
like  a  giant  sentinel  the  memory  of  two  thousand 
"  regulars." 

The  gallant  men  whose  names  are  inscribed  upon 
its  tablets  were  the  battle  victims  of  that  little 
army  which  stood  at  the  beginning  of  the  Civil 
War  for  all  the  military  art  the  nation  could  com- 
mand, and  which  for  half  a  century  had  kept  alive 
the  traditions  of  military  integrity,  discipline  and 
science,  which  inspired  not  only  these  men  but, 
through  them,  the  mighty  hosts  of  heroic  volun- 
teers,— leaderless  masses  of  noble  men  who  left 
their  peaceful  avocations  and  offered  up  their  lives 
for  principle  and  country. 

This  monument  to  the  regulars  was  erected  by 
brothers  to  brothers,  through  voluntary  offerings 
from  the  hard-won  pay  of  comrades  in  the  field 
within  hearing  of  the  roar  of  battle,  and  in  sight  of 
the  dead,  whose  memory  it  preserves.  The  shaft 
stands  for  duty,  professional  honor  and  discipline, 
combined  with  the  loyalty,  courage  and  patriotism 
inherent  in  all  Americans.     It  was  not  raised  in  an 


3IO  FROM    YORKTOWN   TO    SANTIAGO. 

invidious  or  vaunting  spirit,  but  with  just  pride  in 
the  great  work  wrought  by  the  regulars,  not  only 
in  the  Civil  War,  but  upon  the  remote  frontiers 
amidst  savage  foes,  where,  as  the  advance  guard  of 
civilization,  they  protected  and  promoted  the  greatest 
industrial  development  known   to  history. 

"  Nor  shall  your  glory  be  forgot, 
While  fame  her  record  keeps, 
Or  honor  points  the  hallowed  spot, 
Where  valor  proudly  sleeps." 


ROSTER.  311 


ROSTER. 

It  is  not  practicable  to  give  sketches  of  the  long 
and  valuable  service  of  officers  and  men  who  have 
distinguished  themselves  in  the  regiment.  Indi- 
vidual volumes  would  be  required  to  do  justice  in 
many  instances.  The  regiment  has  the  unique 
distinction  of  having  furnished  from  among  its 
gallant  soldiers,  the  first  officer  ever  promoted 
from  the  ranks  who  subsequently  rose  to  the  grade 
of  brigadier-general  in  the  regular  Army.  Up  to 
the  year  1900  there  have  been  but  two  such  pro- 
motions. Six  officers  and  forty-four  enlisted  men 
have  been  rewarded  with  medals  of  honor  during  a 
period  of  nearly  forty  years,  since  the  regiment 
was  organized. 

The  accompanying  list  contains  the  names  of 
officers  who  have  belonged  to  the  regiment  at 
various  periods  since  its  organization,  showing  the 
highest  rank  held  by  them  in  the  regiment  and  the 
hiofhest  ofrade  attained  in  the  service.  A  number  of 
officers  appear  on  the  list  who  have  been  assigned, 
since  the  introduction  of  lineal  promotion,  and  who 
were  subsequently  transferred  back  to  their  old 
regiments  with  but  little  service  with  the  Sixth. 


312  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

BANK  IN  REGIMENT.  HIGHEST  RANK  IN  SERVICE. 

COLONELS. 

David  Hunter 14th  May,  1861. . .  .Major-General  Volunteers. 

James  Oakes 31st  July,  1866. . .  .Brig.-Gen.  Vols.     (Declined.) 

Eugene  A.  Carr 29tli  April,  1879. .  .Brigadier-General,  U.  S.  A. 

George  B.  Sanford 33d  July,  1892 Colonel,  6th  Cavalry. 

David  S.  Gordon 28th  July,  1892  ...Colonel,  6th  Cavalry. 

Samuel  S.  Sumner 23d  May,  1896 Major-General  Volunteers. 

LIEUTENANT-COLONELS. 

William  H.  Emory 14th  May,  1861. . .  .Major-General  Volunteers. 

Samuel  D.  Sturgis 27th  October,  1863. Brig. -Gen.  Volunteers. 

Charles  J.  Whiting 6th  May,  1869 Lieut.-Col.,  6th  Cavalry. 

Thomas  H.  Neill 22d  Feb.,  1869 Brig.-Gen.  Volunteers. 

William  R.  Price 2d  April,  1879 Lieut.-Col.,  6th  Cavalry. 

George  W.  Schofield 30th  Dec,  1881 Lieut.-Col.,  6th  Cavalry. 

Albert  P.  Morrow 17th  Dec,  1883 Colonel,  3d  Cavalry. 

Henry  Carroll 33d  May,  1896 Brig.-Gen.  Volunteers. 

Charles  S.  Ilsley 29th  March,  1899  .  .Lieut.-Col.,  6th  Cavalry. 

Theodore  J.  Wint 8th  April,  1899 Lieut.-Col.,  6th  Cavalry. 


Edward  H.  Wright 14th  May,  1861 Colonel.     A.  A.  D.  C,  Vols. 

James  H.  Carleton 7th  Sept.,  1861 . . .  .Brig.-Gen.  Volunteers. 

Lawrence  A.  Williams  .  . .  .7th  Sept.,  1861 . . .  .Major,  6th  Cavalry. 

Robert  M.  Morris 11th  March,  1863  .   Major,  6tb  Cavalry. 

Samuel  H.  Starr 25th  April,  1863. .  .ColoneL     (Retired.) 

William  W.  Lowe 31st  July,  1866 Major,  6th  Cavalry. 

Abraham  K.  Arnold 23d  June,  1869  . . .  .Brig.-Gen.  Volunteers. 

Charles  E.  Compton 38th  July,  1866. . .  .Brig.-Gen.  Volunteers. 

James  Biddle 21st  Feb.,  1873 Colonel,  9th  Cavalry. 

David  Perry 29th  April,  1879. .  .Colonel,  9th  Cavalry. 

Emil  Adam 11th  June,  1886  . . . Major,  6th  Cavalry. 

Tullius  C.  Tupper 19th  October,  1887. Major,  6th  Cavalry. 

Edmond  G.  Fechet 20th  April,  1891. .  .Major,  6th  Cavalry. 

Adam  Kramer 8th  March,  1893  . .  .Major,  6th  Cavalry. 

Thomas  C.  Lebo 26th  July,  1893 Lieut.-Col.,  1st  Cavalry. 

Eli  L.  Huggins 13th  Jan.,  1897 Colonel,  8th  Vol.  Infantry. 

Winfield  S.  Edgerly 9th  July,  1898 Lieut.-Col.,  Insp.-Gen.,  Vols. 

George  S.  Anderson 10th  Nov.,  1898  . .  .Colonel,  38th  Vol.  Infantry. 

Alexander  Rodgers 14th  Sept.,  1899 . .  .Major,  6th  Cavalry. 

Louis  H.  Rucker 13th  Jan.,  1897.  . .  .Major,  6th  Cavalry. 


ROSTER. 


vDM 


RANK  IN  REGIMENT.  HIGHEST  RANK  IN  SERVICE. 

CAPTAINS. 

August  V.  Kautz 14th  May,  1861 Brigadier-General,  U.  S.  A. 

Andrew  W.  Evans 14th  May,  1861 Colonel,  1st  Maryland  Cav. 

William  S.  Abert 14th  May,  1861 Colonel,  3d  Mass.  Artillery. 

David  McM.  Gregg 14th  May,  1861.  . .  .Brig.-Gen.  Volunteers. 

Joseph  H.  Taylor 14th  May,  1861 Major,  A.  A.  G. 

William  P.  Sanders 14th  May,  1861 Brig.-Gen.  Volunteers. 

J.  Irwin  Gregg 14th  May,  1861 Colonel,  8th  Cavalry. 

John  Savage 14th  May,  1 861 ....  Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

George  C.  Cram 14th  May,  1861 Major,  4th  Cavalry. 

Charles  R.  Lowell 14th  May,  1861 Brig.-Gen.  Volunteers. 

Henry  B.  Hays 5th  August,  1861  .  .Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

James  S.  Brisbin 5th  August,  1861.  .Brig.-Gen.  Volunteers. 

John  J.  Upham 9th  Sept.,  1861 Colonel,  8th  Cavalry. 

Sheldon  Sturgeon 35 th  April,  1863.  .   Colonel,  1st  New  Orleans  Inf. 

Ira  W.  Claflin 33d  Dec.,  1863 Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

Benjamin  T.  Hutchins 19th  Nov.,  1863  . .  .Lieut.-Col.,  1st  N.  H.  Cavalry. 

Hancock  T.  McLean    .5th  July,  1864.    . .  .Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

Tattnall  Paulding 20th  October,  1864. Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

John  B.  Johnson 3d  February,  1865  .Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

James  F.  Wade 1st  May,  1866 Major-Geueral  Volunteers. 

Joseph  C.  Audenried 1st  July,  1866 Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

Henry  Tucker 2Sth  July,  1866 Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

John  W.  Spangler 28th  July,  1866 Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

Curwen  B.  McLellan 38th  July,  1866 Lieut.-Col.,  1st  Cavalry. 

Joseph  Kerin 28th  July,  1866. . .  .Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

Samuel  M.  Whitside 20th  October,  1866. Colonel,  10th  Cavalry. 

Daniel  Madden 10th  May,  1867 Major,  7th  Cavalry. 

John  A.  Irwin 8th  June,  1867  . . .  .Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

Adna  R.  Chaffee 13th  October,  1867.Major-General  Volunteers. 

Thomas  M.  Tolman 18th  Nov.,  1867  .  . . Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

Reuben  N.  Fenton 8th  January,  1868  .Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

William  A.  Rafferty 14th  May,  1868 Colonel,  5th  Cavalry. 

Edwin  Mauck    10th  Sept.,  1869  . . .  Capt.ain,  6th  Cavalry. 

Clarence  E.  Nesmith 22d  May,  1873 Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

Charles  H.  Campbell 20th  Sept.,  1874  ..  .Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

William  Harper,  Jr 37th  Jan.,  1875. . .  .Major,  1st  New  Jersey  Cav. 

William  M.  Wallace 17th  May,  1876 Lieut.-Col.,  2d  Cavalry. 

Edmund  C.  Hentig 15th  Nov.,  1876  . .  .Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

William  L.  Foulk 3d  March,  1873 Lieut.-Col.,  7th  Pa.  Infantry. 

Lemuel  A.  Abbott 3d  June,  1880 Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

Henry  M.  Kendall 15th  Feb.,  1881 Major.     (Retired.) 

Charles  G.  Gordon 30th  August,  1881  .Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 


314  FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 

RANK  IN  REGIMENT.  HIGHEST  RANK  IN  SERVICE. 

CAPTAINS. 

Gilbert  E.  Overton 30th  Dec,  1881. . .  .Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

Henry  P.  Perrine 15th  Jan.,  1884. . .  .Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

John  B.  Kerr 3d  January,  1885  .  .Major,  10th  Cavalry. 

William  Stanton  21st  May,  1886 Major,  8th  Cavalry. 

Henry  P.  Kingsbury 5th  October,  1887  .Major,  Cd  Cavalry. 

Frank  West 19th  Oct.,  1887 Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

Robert  Hanna 7th  July,  1888  . . .  .Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

William  H.  Carter    20th  Nov.,  1889  . .  .Lieut.-Col.,  Asst.  Adj.  Gen. 

Louis  A.  Craig 24th  Feb.,  1891 Colonel,  32d  Vol.  Infantry. 

William  Baird  24th  Feb.,  1891 Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

George  L.  Scott 1st  July,  1891 Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

Benjamin  H.  Cheever 8th  March,  1893  .  .  .Maj.  and  Insp.  Gen.  of  Vols. 

Augustus  P.  Blocksom. . .  .10th  Nov.,  1894  . .  .Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

Elon  F.  Willcox 6th  Feb. ,  1897 ....  Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

George  H.  Sands 3d  Dec,  1897 Maj.  and  Eng.  Officer  of  Vols. 

J.  F.  Reynolds  Landis 31st  May,  1898  . . .  .Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

Thomas  T.  Knox 23d  January,  1889  .  Major  and  Inspector-General. 

Albert  L.  Mills 24th  Oct.,  1898 Col.  and  Supt.  Mil.  Academy. 

Henry  T.  Allen 10th  Nov.,  1898  . .  .Major,  43d  Vol.  Infantry. 

John  M.  Stotsenburg 14th  Dec,  1898. . .  .Colonel,  1st  Nebraska  Vols. 

William  W.  Forsyth 2d  March,  1899 Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

Matthew  F.  Steele 2d  March,  1899 Major,  30th  Vol.  Infantry. 

DeRosey  C.  Cabell 23d  April,  1899 Lieut.-Col.,  2d  Arkansas  Inf. 

Grote  Hutcheson 9th  June,  1899  . . .  .Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

Richard  B.  Paddock 15th  July,  1899 Captain,  6th  Cavalry. 

George  L.  Byram 23d  January,  1900  .Major,  27th  Vol.  Infantry. 

1st  lieutenants. 

Herbert  M.  Enos 14th  May,  1861. . .  .Major  and  Quartermaster. 

Sewell  H.  Brown 14th  May,  1861.  .  .  .1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Frederick  Dodge 14th  May,  1861. . .  .1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Peter  McGrath 24th  Oct.,  1861 1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Stephen  S.  Balk 17th  July,  1862 1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Isaac  M.  Ward 20th  Oct.,  1862 1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Albert  Coats 23d  Dec,  1862 Lt.-Col.,  6th  U.  S.  (Col.)Cav. 

Christian  Balder 23d  Dec,  1862 1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Andrew  Stoll 19th  Nov.,  1863  . .  .1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Nicholas  Nolan 5th  July,  1864 Major,  3d  Cavalry. 

Louis  H.  Carpenter 28th  Sept.,  1864  . .  .Brigadier-General,  U.  S.  A. 

Joseph  H.  Wood 20th  Oct.,  1864 Lt.-Col.,  2d  N.  Y.  Mtd.  Rifles. 

Thomas  W.  Simson 3d  February,  1865  .1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Clarence  E.  Bennett 28th  July,  1866 Lieut.-Col.,  11th  Infantry. 


ROSTER.  315 

RANK  IN  REGIMENT.  HIGHEST  RANK  IN  SERVICE. 

1st  lieutenants. 

Jeremiah  C.  Wilcox 28th  July,  1866   . .  .Major,  5th  Iowa  Cavalry. 

Gustavus  Schreyer. 38th  July,  1860.  . .  .Captain,  1st  Missouri  Cav. 

Moses  Wiley 28th  July,  1866.  . .  .Captain,  East  Tennessee  Cav. 

Theodore  Majtbeny 20th  Oct.,  1866. . .  .Captain,  1st  Indiana  Cavalry. 

Henry  B.  Mellen 22d  January,  1867  .Major,  2d  California  Cavalry. 

Harry  E.  Scot.t 8th  June,  1867  . . .  .1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

James  F.  Hill 17th  Sept.,  1867  .  .  .1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Isaac  N.  Walter 18th  Nov.,  1867  ...  1st  Lieutenant,  Gth  Cavalry. 

William  A.  Borthwick 25th  Nov.,  1867  . .  .1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Harrison  Holt 18th  August,  1868.1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

James  H.  Sands 1st  Dec,  1869 Captain,  Indiana  Cavalry. 

John  W.  Chickering 1st  February,  1868 . Captain,  8Sth  Illinois  Inf. 

Hiram  F.  Winchester 1st  January,  1871.  .1st  Lieutenant,  Gth  Cavalry. 

William  I.  Reese 12th  June,  1872  ...  1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Sebree  Smith 4th  October,  1873 .  . Captain,  3d  Artillery. 

Charles  C.  Morrison 37th  Jan.,  1875. . .  .Captain,  Ordnance  Dept. 

Austin  Henely 15th  Nov.,  1876  . .  .1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Timothy  A.  Touey Sd  June,  1880 1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Edward  E.  Dravo 30th  August,  1881  .Lt.-Col.,  Cf.  Com.  Sub.    Vols. 

Charles  B.  Gatewood 3d  January,  1885  .  .1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

John  N.  Glass 20th  March,  1885.  .1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Thomas  Cruse 28th  Sept.,  1887.  .  .Major,  Quartermaster  Vols. 

John  Y.  F.  Blake 5th  October,  1887  .Ist  Lieutenant,  Gth  Cavalry. 

Frederick  G.  Hodgson 7th  July,  1888  .  . .  .Lt.-Col.,  Quartermaster  Vols. 

Barrington  K.  West 20th  Feb.,  1891. . .  .Captain,  Com.  Subsistence. 

Robert  B.  Watkins 24th  Feb.,  1891 1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Robert  J.  Duff 24th  Feb.,  1891 Captain,  8th  Cavalry. 

James  A.  Cole 1st  April,  1891  .  . .  .Captain,  9th  Cavalry. 

Hugh  J.  Gallagher 20th  April,  1891. .  .Major,  Com.  Sub.  of  Vols. 

Gonzalez  S.  Bingham 1st  July,  1891 Major,  Chief  Qrmr.  Vols. 

Charles  W.  Farber 5th  April,  1892. . .  .1st  Lieutenant,  8th  Cavalry. 

John  T.  Nance 15th  August,  1892  .Ist  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Edward  C.  Brooks 8th  March,  1893. .  .Captain,  A.  A.  G.  Volunteers. 

Thomas  H.  Slavens 15th  April,  1894. .  .Captain,  Asst. Quartermaster. 

John  A.  Harman 10th  Nov.,  1894  ...Major,  Ch'f  Ord.  Officer  Vols. 

Robert  L.  Howze 9th  January,  1896  .Lieut.-Col.,  34th  Vol.  Inf. 

John  P.  Ryan 20th  May,  1896 1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Charles  D.  Rhodes 8th  Dec,  1896 Captain,  A.  A.  G.  Volunteers. 

Francis  C.  Marshall 5th  January,  1897  .1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Frank  M.  Caldwell 6th  Feb.,  1897 Lt.-Col.,  4th  Wisconsin  Inf. 

John  W.  Furlong 11th  Dec,  1897.  . .  .Ist  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Thomas  M.  Corcoran 26th  Feb.,  1898. . . .  Ist  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 


3i6 


FROM    YORKTOWN    TO    SANTIAGO. 


RANK  IN  REGIMENT.  HIGHEST  RANK  IN  SERVICE. 

1st  lieutenants. 

Kirby  Walker 14tli  Dec,  1898 1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

George  C.  Earnhardt 7th  Nov.,  1898  .  . .  .1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Benjamin  B.  Hyer 2d  March,  1899. . .  .1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Herbert  A.  White 2d  March,  1899 1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

August  C.  Nissen 2d  March,  1899. . .  .1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

James  S.  Parker 8th  April,  1899.  . .  .1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Alvord  VanP.  Anderson  . .  .9th  June,  1899  ...  .1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 
LeRoy  Eltinge 15th  July,  1899. . .  .1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

2d  lieutenants. 

Hugh  McQuade 14th  May,  1861 Captain,  38th  New  York  Inf. 

Henry  McQuiston 17th  July,  1862 2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

John  C.  Rousseau 17th  July,  1862. . .  .2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Joseph  Bould 1st  June,  186.S  .  . .  .2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Henry  H.  Wilson 9th  April,  1866 Lt.-Col.,  104th U.S. (Col.)Inf. 

William  P.  Dixon 18th  June,  1866  . .  .2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Charles  A.  Rossander .5th  June,  1867  . . .  .1st  Lieut.,  3d  R.  I.  Artillery. 

David  C.  Mclntyre 25th  Sept.,  1867  . .  .Captain,  1st  Iowa  Cavalry. 

Henry  Lazenby 11th  Oct.,  1867. . .  .2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Harry  P.  Eakin 15th  Oct.,  1867.  .  .  .Captain,  3d  Maryland  Cav. 

Frank  W.  Russell 15th  June,  1868  . .  .2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Sumner  H.  Bodflsh 15th  June,  1868  . .  .2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Edward  W.  Brady 15th  June,  1869  . .  .2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Dexter  W.  Parker 15th  June,  1870  . .  .2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Vinton  A.  Goddard 12th  June,  1871  . .  .2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

William  B.  Wetmore 14th  June,  1872  . .  .2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Thomas  B.  Nichols 14th  June,  1872  . .  .2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

John  A.  Rucker 27th  July,  1872 2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Edward  A.  Benjamin 12th  Dec,  1872. . .  .2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Duane  M.  Greene 27th  July,  1872 Captain,  6th  California  Inf. 

J.  Scott  Payne 3d  February,  1873  .Captain,  5th  Cavalry. 

Wallis  O.  Clark 31st  Dec,  1877 Captain,  12th  Infantry. 

Albert  S.  Bailey 14th  June,  1878  . .  .2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Lewis  M.  Koehler 14th  June,  1885  . .  .Captain,  4th  Cavalry. 

John  J.  Pershing 1st  July,  1886 Major,  A.  A.  G.  Volunteers. 

Seward  Mott 1st  July,  1886 2d  Lieutenant,  10th  Cavalry. 

George  McK.  Williamson.  .28th  Sept.,  1887. .  .Captain, Asst. Quartermaster. 

Francis  H.  Beach 5th  October,  1887.  .Ist  Lieutenant,  7th  Cavalry. 

Alonzo  Gray 19th  October,  1887. 1st  Lieutenant,  5th  Cavalry. 

Lunsf ord  Daniel    17th  Dec,  1889. . .  .2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Harold  P.  Howard 12th  June,  1891  . . .  1st  Lieutenant,  3d  Cavalry. 

Elmer  Lindsley 13th  June,  1891  . .  .1st  Lieutenant,  1st  Cavalry, 


ROSTER. 


z'^y 


KANK  IN  KBGIMENT. 


HIGHEST  RANK  IN  SERVICE. 
2d  lieutenants. 


Erviu  L.  Phillips 1st  Aujjust,  1891  .  .Ist  Lieutenant,  od  Cavalry. 

Walter  C.  Short 7th  October,  1891  .Major,  35th  Vol.  Infantry. 

James  H.  Reeves 11th  June,  1892  . .  .1st  Lieutenant,  2d  Cavalry. 


Samuel  Hof 12th  June,  1894 

Casper  H.  Conrad,  Jr 13th  June,  189.5 

Harry  H.  Stout 12th  June,  1895 

Elvin  R.  Heiherg 12th  June,  1896 

Abraham  G.  Lott 12th  June,  1 896 

George  T.  Summerlin 12th  June,  1896 

Frederick  T.  Arnold 11th  June,  1897  .. 

Edgar  A.  Sirmyer 11th  June,  1897  .  . 

John  C.  Raymond 11th  June,  1897  . . 

Malin  Craig 26th  April,  1898. . 

Wallace  B.  Scales 26th  April,  1898. . 

Warren  Dean 7th  January,  1899 

James  F.  McKinley 8d  February,  1899  .2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Patrick  W.  Guiney .15th  Feb.,  1899 2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Stuart  Heintzelman 15th  Feb.,  1899. . .  .2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Fred.  E.  Buchan 1st  June,  1899 2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

William  L.  Karnes 1st  Dec,  1899 2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Joseph  A.  Baer 13th  June,  1900  . .  .2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Willis  V.  Morris 13th  June,  1900  . .  .2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

Walter  S.  Grant 13th  June,  1900  . .  .2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 


.1st  Lieutenant,  Ord.  Dept. 
.  .1st  Lieutenant,  7th  Cavalry. 

.1st  Lieutenant,  Ord.  Dept. 

.1st  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

.2d  Lieutenant,  8th  Cavalry. 

.Captain,  32d  Vol.  Infantry. 

.2d  Lieutenant,  4th  Cavalry. 
.  .Major,  33d  Vol.  Infantry. 

.2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 
,  .2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 
,  .2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 

.2d  Lieutenant,  6th  Cavalry. 


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